Bottle Rocket (1994) Review

Bottle Rocket (1994)

Bottle Rocket follows dysfunctional criminals Dignan and Anthony, who devise a plan to rob a bookstore with their pot-growing friend, Bob.

2 years before it would be turned into a full-length, feature film, Bottle Rocket showcases the early efforts of two, then unknown, University of Texas filmmaking students, Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, in this quirky 13 minute short. Shot in black and white on a shoestring budget, the original Bottle Rocket is no more than an unfinished snippet of what we would get in ‘96, appearing at Sundance as sort of an investor pitch to get funding for a the full film, but the inspiration, style, and humor present is a telling sign for what these two would go on go accomplish in the years to come. 

And while obviously only a short film, I appreciate the creative loopholes Anderson takes to tell part of a larger story, without leading us onto more. Just small time crooks, content on being just that, robbing bookstores for christ sake. It’s hilarious and done with such a tongue-in-cheek seriousness, that it’s no wonder James L. Brooks was so determined to pick this up and get the full thing out of Wes and the Owens brothers. 

Gotta also love the casting here too, starring Robert Musgrave, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson. Understandably, it’s the older brother Owen who immediately stands out off such a hardball intensity and comedic timing, that contrasts really well with Luke’s natural timidity.  

Bottle Rocket, directed by Wes Anderson, is, while an incomplete and rather simplistic short film, a creative freshman endeavor nonetheless that demonstrates all the promise of a young filmmaker first discovering his craft, through way of many greats before him—an unorthodox spotlight into crime. 

7/10