Rate the Wes Anderson movies

Movies
1
  1. Life Aquatic
  2. Royal Tenenbaums
  3. Rushmore
  4. Bottle Rocket

I finally saw Bottle Rocket, it’s symptomatic of a lot of heist movies from the 90’s that were influenced by Reservoir Dogs.

2
  1. Rushmore
  2. Royal Tenenbaums
  3. Life Aquatic
  4. Bottle Rocket
3
  1. Life Aquatic
  2. Rushmore
  3. Bottle Rocket
  4. Life Aquatic
  5. Royal Tenenbaums
4

I was hoping the Jose Liz entry would use “Episode IV”.

5
  1. Royal Tennenbaums
  2. Life Aquatic
  3. Bottle Rocket
  4. Rushmore
6

Well, chronologically it is the 4th, but there’s always the argument that Episode IV in any series is really the first episode, so I didn’t go there. Until you made me.

7

since i’ve only ever seen #2, i guess i’ll go with that one as my top rated

8
  1. Whichever of Rushmore, Royal Tennenbaums or Life Aquatic that I’ve seen most recently.
  2. Bottle Rocket.

I like Bottle Rocket well enough, but it’s very much a first movie.

9

Royal Tenenbaums
Rushmore
Bottle Rocket (One ups Life Aquatic because of Dignan)
Life Aquatic

10

Not sure. I hate Rushmore. Royal Tenenbaums is really bad as well but at least I didn’t feel like clawing my eyes out like Rushmore did. I guess Life Aquatic is my “favorite” Wes Anderson.

11

Wow. Was I not in the right mood when I watched Life Aquatic?

My wife and I both love all the other Wes Anderson movies, but we both thought Life Aquatic was a very poor film. Seemed to be WA being quirky for the sake of being quirky. Perhaps it needs a second watching.

Royal Tenenbaums
Rushmore
Bottle Rocket

12

DennyA: Do you hate fun?

13

You used the word ‘fun’, I’m telling Tom

14

Fun? Dude. Thanks for Chickinizing my thread.

15

Rushmore
Royal
Aquatic
Bottle Rocket

16
  1. Bottle Rocket
  2. The Life Aquatic

And really… I have to see Tenebaums and Rushmore again. I think I liked them well enough, but I have a suspicion I’d probably appreciate them more now.

17
  1. Life Aquatic
  2. Royal Tennenbaums
  3. Rushmore
  4. Bottle Rocket

Reasons!

  1. Life Aquatic has the best soundtrack, sets, and highly focussed idiocy.
  2. The backgrounds in ever shot are perfect, from the Miguel Calderone paintings at Owen Wilson’s house to the elevators, this is where the characters would be if they were real.
  3. “Oh, Are they?”
  4. The worst of the best films I have seen in years. I wish I could combine this list with the work of some other filmmakers so there would be some numbers underneath this one, but sadly, this film is just them getting started. The others are what they could do once they got going.
18

  1. Rushmore - poignant, has the most realistic characters Wes has created on film, bittersweet, and IMO contains the best dialogue (which is saying a lot, I know).

  2. The Life Aquatic - I’m not surprised if nobody else likes this as much as I (and my girlfreind) do, but being nerdy biology…uh, nerds who grew up on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and anything Jacques Cousteau made can’t help but love this film. Even though the characters are fairly pallid, the dialogue is less than impressive in some parts (yet still awesome in other parts) floundering into downright stilting in places.

  3. The Royal Tenenbaums - seriously, if I wasn’t a doofus overachiever biology major spaz in college and didn’t find Olivia Williams simply gorgeous, TRT would be an easy #2 and would even fight for #1. But, with Tenenbaums’ large cast, I end up preferring the depth and treatment the smaller cast in Rushmore gets. Still, awesome.

  4. Bottle Rocket - this film could qualify as several directors’ best film, just not Wes’, meaning it’s not an insult for it to come in 4th.

19
  1. Rushmore
  2. Royal Tannenbaums
  3. Bottle Rocket
  4. The Life Aquatic

And quite frankly, there’s a big drop from Rushmore, one of the best films of the decade, to Tannenbaums. I almost walked out of The Life Aquatic, it was just painful in parts. It just showed how clearly Anderson needs Owen Wilson as a writing partner.

20
  1. Rushmore
  2. Bottle Rocket
  3. Royal Tenenbaums
  4. Life Aquatic

I’ve purchased Life Aquatic and I’m looking forward to seeing if it gets better with rewatching.

Bottle Rocket stays up there just because it was first. And because of Applejack. And because it has all the best lines.

Dignan: [points to Bob] He’s out.
[points to Anthony]
Dignan: And you’re out, too. And I dont think I’m in, either. No gang!