Reviews
Len Smith

Len Smith

April 26, 2022
10.0
It's always staggering to me that _Bottle Rocket_ is almost universally considered one of Wes Anderson's worst movies. Seeing the sub-70% rating on this website nearly broke my heart. And since there were no reviews of the film, I decided it was my duty as a _Bottle Rocket_ stan to make a feeble attempt at evangelizing on its behalf. People complain about how twee and pretentious Anderson's movies come across. Yet, somehow, as one of his movies that largely sidesteps those pitfalls, Bottle Rocket usually gets shit on the most. Part of the "problem" is that there's a subtlety to the humor and the storytelling that is unmatched in Anderson's filmography. It's not as "mainstream quirky" as a _Moonrise Kingdom_, nor does it have the flashiness (relatively speaking) of a _Rushmore_ or a _Life Aquatic_. It's much more than that -- to me, at least. It's a very low-stakes film, something which I always appreciate in my fiction. It's just a bunch of morons who want to be criminals. Why? Because they're morons and they have names like Dignan and Applejack and it's funny. You want a compelling plot, go watch _The Royal Tenenbaums_. You want to laugh at Owen Wilson dressing up in a banana-colored jumpsuit and riding around on a tiny motorcycle, _Bottle Rocket_'s ya boy. Luke Wilson's Anthony is, ostensibly, the star of this film. His struggle with his vague mental illness really resonates with me because I, too, am nuts. Owen Wilson is the main attraction here, though. He brings a sort of low-key freneticism to Dignan that always makes me smile. Look at that little guy go. I honestly don't think Wes Anderson has ever written a better character, though I know that I'm, inexplicably, the only person in the world who thinks that. I don't know what I can say to make people like this movie more. It's good! It's fun and cute and sweet! It's very Wes Anderson without being too Wes Anderson. You know? I would think more people would appreciate that. If this were made today, Timothee Chalamet would undoubtedly be cast as one of the two leads, so let's be glad it lives forever encased in 1996 carbonite.

Recommendation Movies

7.4
Comedy
View
7.4
Rushmore
Rushmore1998
6.3
Comedy
View
6.3
Bottle Rocket
Bottle Rocket1993
6.9
Drama
View
6.9
Hotel Chevalier
Hotel Chevalier2007
6.4
Documentary
View
6.4
Mondo Cane
Mondo Cane1962
7.1
Drama
View
7.1
Toto the Hero
Toto the Hero1991
5.3
Comedy
View
5.3
Things I Never Told You
Things I Never Told You1996
6.1
Drama
View
6.1
A Single Girl
A Single Girl1995
6.2
Drama
View
6.2
The Wings of Eagles
The Wings of Eagles1957
7.1
Comedy
View
7.1
Shanghai Blues
Shanghai Blues1984
7
Documentary
View
7
Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton
Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton2007
4.7
Mystery
View
4.7
The Shortcut
The Shortcut2009
4.9
Thriller
View
4.9
Mojave Moon
Mojave Moon1996
5.5
Documentary
View
5.5
Chicken Ranch
Chicken Ranch1983
8
Music
View
8
Tiny Dots2015
5.1
Drama
View
5.1
Chelsea Walls
Chelsea Walls2001
7
Documentary
View
7
Brando: An Icon Is Born
Brando: An Icon Is Born2007
6.4
Drama
View
6.4
Christopher and His Kind
Christopher and His Kind2011
7.2
Documentary
View
7.2
The Decline of Western Civilization
The Decline of Western Civilization1981
7.2
Romance
View
7.2
Mood of the Day
Mood of the Day2016
6.4
Drama
View
6.4
The Killing of Two Lovers
The Killing of Two Lovers2021
© 2024 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt