Bottle Rocket

Director: Wes Anderson
Year Released: 1996
Rating: 1.5

Three half-wits plan a life of crime together in this coy picture - Wes Anderson's first - but the "story" gets side-tracked (just as it starts to get going) by a completely unnecessary romantic side plot that doesn't figure much in the grand scheme of things. Leisurely paced and overly cutesy, it's Bubblegum Cinema. James Caan's presence is short but sweet. Anderson's next feature, Rushmore, is light years beyond this in its forthrightness and understanding of human nature.