When it comes to movies, I’ve watched a lot of films from some of the best. I’ve seen a good amount of Christopher Nolan movies (even though I just watched Interstellar for the first time), I’ve seen all of Martin Scorsese’s films, and have watched every single M. Night Shyamalan horror/thriller that he has put out, for better or worse. But, one director I hadn't seen every single film for was Wes Anderson.
Granted, I had seen plenty of them before. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel were some of my favorite films back when I was a teenager and they still stand out as awesome picks. Because I’ve been trying to rejuvenate my life with some amazing movies, though, I decided to watch every single Anderson movie so far – and I had some thoughts.
In celebration of Asteroid City releasing, here is what I thought of every Wes Anderson movie – starting from the very beginning.
To Be Honest, Bottle Rocket And Rushmore Were Forgettable In Comparison To Anderson’s Later Films
Yeah, these two didn’t stand out to me as much, if we’re being honest.
Bottle Rocket was based on a short that Anderson did two years prior, and while the introduction of the Wilson brothers was great for Hollywood, I genuinely, for the life of me, don’t understand why this was the feature that made Wes Anderson famous.
If you love Wes Anderson, check out our list of all of his movies, ranked.
It’s a very simple movie on the surface level, and for a feature directorial debut, it’s great, but it pales in comparison to many of his other films that he directed later on.
The same goes for Rushmore. While it was also a great introduction to Jason Schwartzman and the beginning of Bill Murray appearing in many Anderson movies, nothing about it really stood out to me. The performances were great, and the cinematography was always fantastic, but other than that, I won’t be re-watching it.
But The Royal Tenenbaums Was The First One That Stood Out To Me
I had never seen The Royal Tenenbaums until recently, and I regret it! This movie is a ton of fun and I can understand why many people consider it one of Anderson’s best so far. The story, written by both Anderson and Owen Wilson, is hilarious, and I look at this movie sort of as the beginning of Anderson starting to play with colors and cinematography a lot more than his previous two.
This film is where we really start to see the “Anderson touch,” as I call it, where you just know it’s directed by him from only a trailer. You don’t even need to be told. And with a cast that features the brilliant talents of actors such as Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Angelica Huston, and more? It’s a recipe for success.
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Deserved More Love At The Box Office
To be honest, The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou is such an underrated gem. Bill Murray stars in this film, alongside a stellar cast of Owen Wilson, Angelica Huston, Jeff Goldblum – even the talented Cate Blanchett.
I can’t understand why this film didn’t do well at the box office, because it has all the makings of a true original – but at least it has become a cult classic years later. Maybe it's because it was competing with other big films at the time, like Meet the Fockers or Ocean’s Twelve, but this should have gotten so much more love.
The Brothers Of The Darjeeling Limited Were The Best Part Of The Movie
The Darjeeling Limited was one of my least favorites, and to be honest, that’s mainly because I personally didn’t connect with the story. The cinematography was outstanding, as per Wes Anderon’s shots, as he always seems to have the best ones in the game of filmmaking. But, the story…it was just sort of “meh,” to me.
However, what I will say is that The Darjeeling Limited did an excellent job with its main three actors, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, and Owen Wilson. These three as the brothers was top-ten casting for all the dramedies out there, because they made it look so natural, as if they really were related. Their chemistry was some of the best I’ve seen in an Anderson film, and I would gladly view all three together in another movie at some point.
I’ve Seen Fantastic Mr. Fox Before – And It’s Truly The Best Stop-Motion Animated Film Out There
I could go on for hours about how much I love Fantastic Mr. Fox. I’ve already talked about it in my best stop-motion animation list because it’s genuinely one of the most beautiful stop-motion movies ever.
Man, this movie never gets old. There’s something new that you discover about it every time you watch. The voice-acting was done exceptionally well, and every frame had a purpose and a meeting. Animation isn’t just a genre – it’s art form, and this is a beautiful example of that. Truly, one of the best stop-motion movies.
Moonrise Kingdom Is Just As Delightful As It Was When I First Watched It
I adore this movie. Moonrise Kingdom is one of those films that you watch when you’re having a bad day and you need something to make you smile. At its core, it’s a sweet love story that incorporates aspects of childhood fantasies, such as running away and looking for a new life.
What really makes it such a great movie is the two child actors who carry this film – Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. Yes, the cast is full of talented actors and actresses, but these two were the heart of the movie and were the reasons I watched it as a thirteen-year-old – and now, they're the reasons I watched it as a 24 year old.
The Grand Budapest Hotel Is A Lot Funnier Than I Remember It Being
This movie had no business being this funny.
I saw The Grand Budapest Hotel in a theater with my dad, and I don’t know if it’s the fact that I’ve grown up since seeing it, or my sense of humor has matured, but this movie was so freaking funny.
Specifically, the main star of the film, Ralph Fiennes, and Tony Revolori, were two of the best parts. Their scenes in the film made me laugh my butt off and their comedic timing was on point. They really did make it that much more entertaining.
Isle Of Dogs Isn’t As Great As Mr. Fox – But There’s A Lot To Love About It
Isle of Dogs is Anderson’s second stop-motion film – and I’ll be honest and say I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did Fantastic Mr. Fox. I think it’s really because the movie felt as if it was trying to draw inspiration from one of my favorite directors of all time, Hayao Miyazaki, with its themes, but it didn’t quite pin it down story-wise.
However, there’s still a lot to love about it. The voice cast is outstanding, with actors that I’m sure everyone has heard of and will adore hearing in this movie, like Bryan Cranston, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray (of course) and way more. The animation is a heck of a lot of fun – maybe not as whimsical and enjoyable as Mr. Fox, but there’s still plenty to enjoy.
The French Dispatch Almost Fit Too Much Into Its Near Two Hour Time-Frame
I wanted to adore The French Dispatch so badly. Don’t get me wrong, the movie itself has a lot going for it, including the amazing French Dispatch cast, as well as its incredible score, but there's so much in this story that it’s sort of hard to follow.
It was difficult to keep up with the insane number of names, storylines, and so much more that this movie had to offer. I think it would have been better if the film was just a tad longer, but within this timeframe there was enough space to enjoy everything.
I’m Excited To Finally Get To See Asteroid City
That being said, after this binge of Anderson movies, I can say I’m looking forward to Asteroid City. The movie, again, has a star-studded cast, with a story that is genuinely interesting, so I’m eager to see where it goes.
What do you love the most about the director? Now all I need to do is get on TikTok and hop on that Wes Anderson trend before it goes out of style.
