writer or director wes anderson ( rushmore and the royal tenanbaums ) have always produce strange film with rich character and a little bit of heart . his fourth and late adventure and the life aquatic with steve zissou and be no exception and but it be his bad to date . we begin at a european film festival where steve zissou ( bill murray ) and a wash up leader of sea fare documentary filmmaker and be show off his late film and the jaguar shark pt . 1. the film look like an old documentary you would watch in elementary school because the teacher be feel lazy . zissou be on his last leg a a professional and be desperate for revenge . while shoot his late film and his best friend be kill by a mythological shark . to exact his revenge and he plan to take his diverse crew out once again and film the shark demise . meanwhile and ned plimpton ( owen wilson ) and be a young pilot for air kentucky that approach zissou with the notion that he may be his son . ned mother have recently pass away and he only have rumor that have guide him to zissou . the motley crew be comprise of several fine actor and include william defoe a a german engineer and and angelica houston a zissou brilliant wife . jane ( cate blanchett ) and a reporter and also join the trip so she can write a cover story on zissou and provide a love interest for steve and ned . overall and the film be a slow moving oddity that immerse u into another world . rather than attempt any realism and anderson and co writer noah baumbach and have create an alternate universe where pirate be still attack ship and the fanciful fish on display be computer animate . i enjoy the unique set and inventive atmosphere and but i do not care much for the thin story . for much of the first half and the audience be give the idea that a deep plot might bubble up and but it never come . the film tread water for the last half and slowly sink into it shallow water . in compensation and the audience be provide with developed character . anderson decide not to focus on story so much a develop his lead man . zissou be an ambitious asshole who always have a frown on his face . like many other anderson character and zissou be a flawed protagonist who learn a lesson or two about life . thankfully and murray great performance make the film well . murray characterize zissou so well that we feel like we actually know him at the film end . if 2004 have not be so saturated with good acting performance and murray would likely be up for an oscar . wilson also provide a notable performance and where he not allow to be the smart aleck he usually play . ned be a quiet side kick who think before he speak and somehow wilson manages to pull it off . also enhance the movie be the great soundtrack . anderson have always have a knack for select pop song that match his movie mood . in life and many david bowie song be sing in portuguese and provide dreamy music that can not be completely understood . life be a full fledge anderson movie and anyone who have enjoy his previous effort will likely like this one . anyone who hasn not like anderson film should stay far and far away . the film require a lot of patience and but stick around until the end make the movie more than the sum of it part . it appear that anderson be so hell bent on be different from his predecessor that he have lose some of his magnificent charm . he use to have his head in the cloud and but now he lose in out space . let hope anderson can come back down before hollywood make him walk the plank .