Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned, a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane, a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor.
Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned, a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane, a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor.
The film's core conflict revolves around an aging adventurer's personal struggles with ego, legacy, and family, which are largely apolitical themes. The narrative champions a solution of personal growth, acceptance, and the formation of genuine human connections, rather than promoting any specific political ideology.
The film features a predominantly white ensemble cast, characteristic of the director's style, with some visible diversity in supporting roles. Its narrative focuses on character-driven themes of adventure, ego, and legacy, without explicitly critiquing or promoting specific traditional or DEI-related identities.
The film features Klaus Daimler, whose intense, unrequited devotion to Steve Zissou carries a strong romantic subtext. This aspect of his character is presented as an eccentric trait within the ensemble, neither explicitly affirming nor denigrating LGBTQ+ identity, resulting in a neutral portrayal.
The film does not feature any scenes where a female character engages in and wins close-quarters physical combat against one or more male opponents. Female characters present are not depicted in such combat roles.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an original film with no pre-existing source material, historical figures, or prior installments. All characters were created for this specific movie, thus none could have had a previously established gender to be swapped.
The film features original characters created for this specific production, with no prior canonical or historical racial depictions to establish a baseline for comparison.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources