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List Price: $9.95 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 3247
Released: December 22, 1998 |
| Our Price: $4.98 |
| Used Price: $3.44 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Three suburban wannabe criminals get mixed up with the real deal when the local godfather involves them in a big heist.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: WILSON/CAAN
Title: BOTTLE ROCKET
Street Release Date: 01/24/2006
Domestic
Genre: COMEDY VIDEO
Description of Bottle Rocket:
This quietly daffy comedy should have been an indie hit, but ended up ignored by audiences. Too bad; it's a wonderfully sustained caper movie about friends whose career choice is all wrong. Low-key Anthony (Luke Wilson) and high-strung Dignan (Owen C. Wilson--the two actors are brothers) are brought into a life of crime by Dignan's ambition to be a small-time thief. After a few amusingly laid-back trial burglaries, they (and a third buddy) find themselves over their heads when they hook up with an experienced crime boss (James Caan). Because this movie is so relentlessly deadpan, you really have to be dialed in to its brand of humor--but once there, Bottle Rocket shoots off plenty of sparks. Above all, Owen Wilson's portrayal of Dignan is a terrifically original comic creation; Dignan is so sincerely focused on his goals that he can't see how completely absurd his ideas are. Owen Wilson, who went on to supply similarly knuckle-headed performances in Armageddon and Permanent Midnight, wrote the screenplay with director Wes Anderson. --Robert Horton
Bottle Rocket Reviews:
Not as glorious as I remembered 
2009-09-25 - I was one of the few who saw this in the theater, and it was a memorable evening. Offbeat, witty, and a skilled walk in that lovable loser parade that was, and is, difficult to pull off. Or so I recalled.
The reality was somewhat less. (I'm afraid to watch Rushmore again--it lives in my Top 10 comedy list.) The flaws were certainly there, and they made me cringe far too many times. Is it the 13 years older I am? Can't be sure, but as many other 3 star reviewers say, this was a dress rehearsal of better things to come, with many fine touches. But it eventually left me cold; Dignan was a massively unpleasant guy, and why he would command anyone's loyalty is beyond me. Everyone in this film was just a little too dim to make me want to watch.
Glad I bought this rather than the Criterion disc!
Very average movie
2009-07-01 - 3 stupid guys do stupid things; it's supposed to be funny or clever or quirky or something entertaining; also throw in a little romance. If you like Owen Wilson movies, you'll probably like this one. Otherwise, don't bother. The 4.5 star rating from the other reviewers is way too high in my opinion. It's a very average movie.
Defective 
2008-09-30 - The DVD we received was defective. The color was off and the image kept going black. We couldn't watch it.
Why They Should Take Wes Anderson's Money Away 
2008-07-30 - "Rushmore" was my first Wes Anderson film. I fell in love with that movie (I remember noticing about halfway through it that I literally couldn't get the smile off of my face), and I tracked this film down as a result.
When I first watched "Bottle Rocket", I thought it was an excellent (hilarious, surprising, brilliant, inspired) film, but one that obviously lacked the polish needed to propel it to "Rushmore" status. I hate to admit it, because it's so superficial and pedestrian, but it's true. Boy, was I wrong.
I think I realized how off base I was after I saw "The Royal Tenenbaums". I loved that movie, don't get me wrong. It was like "Rushmore" on crack. But I still felt like I'd eaten a whole bag of candy after I watched it.
Now I recognize that "Rushmore" and "Tenenbaums" (and "Life Aquatic", and "Darjeeling") suffer from a pedantic deliberateness that Anderson probably just couldn't afford here. I love all of those movies, but "Bottle Rocket" is just so much more sincere and immediate.
I sometimes wonder if the film holds the same allure for women as it does for men, just because so much of it revolves around male adolescent preoccupations (being on a "crew", firing guns, secret plans, fireworks). Any comments along those lines would be welcome and appreciated.
Bottle Rocket - A Early Wes Anderson Hit 
2008-06-30 - A little rough around the edges - not as refined or clever as some recent Anderson movies, but definitely a Anderson film. I recommend it for any fans...
