Movies about obscure characters doing obscure things can be pretty hit or miss. The key is tying that obscurity into something that people can understand and relate to. With "Bottle Rocket," Wes Anderson (in his very first cinematic credits) establishes that he understands this must be done and he does it with relationships. While "Bottle Rocket" may not be all that poignant or satisfy the tastes of all movie watchers, it certainly does offer its own style of entertainment. For those familiar with Anderson's more mainstream work, this is a film that brings some insight into how he established himself as a revered director.
Let's not forget the Wilson brothers either. Both Owen and Luke can thank this film for being a great resume starter. It highlights the very talents that they took with them all the way to the bank in the last ten years.
Luke is Anthony Adams, a lovable, naive guy who finds himself in trouble thanks to those around him, namely Owen's character Dignan, the quirky, high-aimer who takes things to a comically serious level. You see attributes of these characters echo in nearly every role they've played since this film gave them a spotlight. Together, the two are small time crooks who consider themselves professionals and set out with their friend Bob only to further reveal to the viewer that they have no talent whatsoever.
There's not a whole lot driving this plot. While part of that is the point, more could actually happen to make things interesting. Instead, this is mostly focused on how the characters all deal with their collective ineptitude. They argue like most friends argue, only most friends aren't amateur thieves. Like Anderson's films after this, the characters all wrestle between a group or family mentality and their individual desires. It's very easy to see for anyone who has seen most of Anderson's work. Fortunately for him, these characters and dilemmas only get stronger and more interesting as his career progresses.
The film is also not much of a comedy. While Anderson never has done traditional comedy, the laughs come at the expense of some of the strange characters. They're not nearly strange enough to be consistently funny. Instead, the characters and the whole film is likable, but that's about where it stops. It never gets beyond likable. At least likable is better than bad and this film is definitely leaves a good taste in your mouth.
Let's not forget the Wilson brothers either. Both Owen and Luke can thank this film for being a great resume starter. It highlights the very talents that they took with them all the way to the bank in the last ten years.
Luke is Anthony Adams, a lovable, naive guy who finds himself in trouble thanks to those around him, namely Owen's character Dignan, the quirky, high-aimer who takes things to a comically serious level. You see attributes of these characters echo in nearly every role they've played since this film gave them a spotlight. Together, the two are small time crooks who consider themselves professionals and set out with their friend Bob only to further reveal to the viewer that they have no talent whatsoever.
There's not a whole lot driving this plot. While part of that is the point, more could actually happen to make things interesting. Instead, this is mostly focused on how the characters all deal with their collective ineptitude. They argue like most friends argue, only most friends aren't amateur thieves. Like Anderson's films after this, the characters all wrestle between a group or family mentality and their individual desires. It's very easy to see for anyone who has seen most of Anderson's work. Fortunately for him, these characters and dilemmas only get stronger and more interesting as his career progresses.
The film is also not much of a comedy. While Anderson never has done traditional comedy, the laughs come at the expense of some of the strange characters. They're not nearly strange enough to be consistently funny. Instead, the characters and the whole film is likable, but that's about where it stops. It never gets beyond likable. At least likable is better than bad and this film is definitely leaves a good taste in your mouth.