Hit – Starring Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Angelica Huston, Willem Dafoe

This film follows the latest adventure of the famous oceanographer and documentary filmmaker Steve Zissou. Zissou and the crew of the Bellefonte embark on a mission of revenge to find and destroy the possibly mythical shark that consumed his best friend and partner during their last adventure. The crew is joined by Ned Plimpton (Wilson), as Steve’s illegitimate child as well as Jane Winslett-Richardson (Blanchet), a reporter doing a story on Zissou. On their journey the crew of the Bellefonte encounter several obstacles including a band of pirates that kidnap their bond stooge and competition from rival oceanographer Alistair Hennessey (Goldblum).

Murray is excellent as the self-serving and arrogant Zissou and the interplay between him and the rest of the cast is wonderful. The script has numerous clever lines in the delightful style that Wes Anderson fans can’t get enough of. The movie starts out introducing the cast and defining the characters, which can be slow for some, but soon your patience is rewarded with sharply directed action sequences punctuated with emotional turns made by the crew of the Bellefonte.

Wes Anderson films appeal to an audience with slightly different sensibilities then the bulk of moviegoers. His carefully constructed settings and unique minimalist dialog are not for all tastes, but if you have found yourself a fan of his other work this film will certainly not disappoint. This film rivals the Royal Tenenbaums, but the absence of Gene Hackman gives this film a dramatically different tone.

Rated R for language, some drug use, violence and partial nudity.
Comedy
Running Time: 1 hours 58 minutes

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