The Life Aquatic

The Life Aquatic came out on video recently, and this weekend I got to watch it for the first time since the theater. I love this movie.

I love its world-building. It creates a different place, shows elements of it, and that tantalizes me. I want to explore the world of the movie. I want to watch all of the episodes, I want to get a massage on the Belaphonte, I want to go to all the tornadoed-out islands with pirate-infested resorts, I want to meet all these life times ten characters. To me the movie builds the world the way any good sci-fi does: it sets up the elements in such a way that there seems to be a lot more. It shows great imagination, and then lets the viewer add to it with their own imaginings.

I've found a lot of sci-fi falls into the trap of explaining too much. It builds a world, and then presents it to the viewer, complete and flat. Or what it does explain is too dull, and fails to inspire the viewer.

I like other aspects of the movie, but that's what gets me the most.

Also, I biked about ~45 miles this weekend. Nathan has the details.