Steve Zissou used to be regarded as a leading oceanographer and documentary filmmaker. While he and his Team Zissou still sail the seas on their ship, the Belafonte, he now has a hard time funding his sea explorations and films. Zissou (Bill Murray) premiered his latest documentary, which he hoped to be the first of a two-part series, to a group of nonplussed peers and admirers. His producer, Oseary Drakoulias (Michael Gambon) can't find anyone who's willing to put up the money to finish the project. His most recent films have been failures, and Steve's not the most pleasant person to sell. Steve's wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston), who's considered the brains behind Team Zissou, can only get the financial backing from her parents - and she's reluctant to do that. She not only doesn't want to beg, but the Zissou marriage has felt the strain of Steve's failures.

There's another good reason for Eleanor's reluctance - Zissou is on the hunt for a jaguar shark that ate Team Zissou diver Esteban du Plantier (Seymour Cassel). In "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," Steve doesn't want to study this creature - he wants revenge. Some who saw Steve's film wonder if such a shark even exists, as it's not seen in the film. All of them insist that Steve and his team not kill this shark if they can find it again. Steve assures them in a dry and a sarcastic manner that he won't kill the shark. He'll battle the shark, but let it live. Steve prepares to leave, disillusioned with his peers and his life.

At this gathering, he meets Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson), an airline pilot and Zissou fan who's on a leave of absence from his job. Part of the reason for his leave is personal. His recently deceased mother told Ned that Steve was his father. Steve remembers Ned's mother, and becomes intrigued. Steve's so intrigued, he invites Ned to join Team Zissou, and wants to make part of the voyage an opportunity to get acquainted with the young man. Ned also decides to fund Steve's expedition with his inheritance trust funds. The people that hold Ned's funds, though, place a condition on this expenditure. Their auditor, Bill Ubell (Bud Cort), must accompany Ned and Team Zissou. Further, Bill is required to report any improprieties that he sees. Also along for the voyage is Jane Winslett-Richardson (Cate Blanchett), a journalist who has been invited to report on the mission.

It doesn't take long for Steve to show he's not the most reputable of people. Steve and his crew break into a storage facility owned by their rival (and ex-husband of Eleanor), Alastair Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum), and take equipment. Jane also shows that she's a distraction to Steve's plans to bond with Ned, as Jane and Ned take a liking to one another. The mission changes its focus when they enter international waters. Pirates raid the ship and kidnap one of the passengers and hold him for ransom. Team Zissou changes its focus to a rescue mission, while Alastair chases Zissou for the return of his belongings.

Director Wes Anderson, who's best known for "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums," has crafted another quirky, but engaging, film with "The Life Aquatic." However, he has made some changes to his usual approach. Murray and Huston appear again, as does Wilson. However, Wilson is not writing with Anderson this time, as he has in the past. The co-writer on this film is Noah Baumbach. With Wilson, Anderson wrote scripts that had both quirks and personality at every turn. The quirks are still there in "The Life Aquatic," but the personality can't always be found. For example, Team Zissou's Pele Dos Passos (Seu Jorge) spends most of his time in the movie singing David Bowie songs in Portugese, and little time doing chores on the vessel. Other members of Team Zissou are even more peripheral. Yet, all of them seem incredibly dedicated to their leader, even as his career ship is sinking.

The story also follows an arc that's familiar to Anderson's work. It begins with the main characters in a state of discord and dysfunction. Nothing is going right for Steve in his work and in his marriage, and he seems resigned to his fate. Along the way, Steve is reminded of things he has forgotten about himself, and of things that remind him why he was interested in oceanography in the first place. In an early scene, the son of Team Zissou member Klaus Daimler (Willem Dafoe) gives Steve a multi-colored seahorse, which Steve appreciates. In private moments on the Belafonte, Ned shares with Steve that he had once written him a fan club letter, and that Steve had responded. As the film progresses, the characters work to settle their differences as a means of resuming their lives.

Ned, though, is an exception to this rule. He has a career he enjoys. His work allows him to travel to many places, just like Steve. This time, Ned is taking a different sort of a journey. Steve is, too, but he's not really into the spirit of the adventure until they encounter the pirates. When he decides to fight, Steve snaps out of the funk that had enveloped his life. Team Zissou was a part of Steve's family, and anyone on his ship (and on that team) was worthy of defending. Even though the question of Ned's paternity is never answered, Steve reaches his own conclusions on the matter. Ned was family the moment he joined the expedition.

Murray is right at home in the role of Steve Zissou. In fact, Zissou is much like Herman Blume, his character from "Rushmore." Both Steve and Herman are in danger of losing both their marriage and their reputation. Each man decides to fight for both family and reputation. Both have a very cynical view of the world. They feel the world is out to get them. Murray can get a laugh without changing his expression. He chides the audience for continuing to stare blankly at the stage. His beer belly also makes him not look much like an oceanographer. As Zissou, Murray can also get crazy, much like Herman Blume. Even though pirates point their guns at Steve and his crew and hold them at bay, Steve gets off his knees and chases the pirates off his boat. Wilson and Huston are equally at ease in their parts. Wilson is charming as the young man who's doing something he wants with his life. I could believe that Zissou was Ned's father, and that, at some point, Steve was just as excited about the sea as Ned was in his participation. Huston also has good moments as Eleanor. She may not have a great marriage with Steve, but she still cares to make Steve happy, even though he spends much of his time away from her. Blanchett, Dafoe, Goldblum, and the others make the most of their limited roles.

"The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" may tread into territory familiar to Anderson, but the journey of these characters helps to keep the story afloat. They make the journey from an unsatisfying past to a future filled with possibility. New explorations await, and new discoveries beckon Team Zissou. Steve Zissou himself explores issues in his life that he never thought he would. He had never dreamed of being a father, but Ned is the sort of man he could imagine a son of his to be. Steve starts out on one mission, only to change course for a far better mission. When he changes course, he discovers there is still much to learn about the waters where he roams.

Recommended: Yes