Commentary by director/co-writer Anderson and co-writer/actor Owen Wilson · The Making of "Bottle Rocket": an original documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman featuring Anderson, James L. Brooks, James Caan, Temple Nash Jr., Kumar Pallana, Polly Platt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Musgrave, Richard Sakai, David and Sandy Wasco, Andrew and Luke and Owen Wilson, and Robert Yeoman · The original thirteen-minute black-and-white Bottle Rocket short film from 1992 · Eleven deleted scenes · Anamorphic screen test, storyboards, location photos, and behind-the-scenes photographs by Laura Wilson · Murita Cycles, a 1978 short film by Braverman · The Shafrazi Lectures, no. 1: Bottle Rocket · Booklet featuring an essay by executive producer James L. Brooks, an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, and original artwork by Ian Dingman

Bottle Rocket is directed by Wes Anderson (Rushmore.) The film stars Owen Wilson (Shanghai Knights), Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave, Lumi Cavazos, and James Caan (The Godfather, Misery.) Original music for the film is composed by Mark Mothersbaugh (Revenge of the Nerds II, Rugrats.) ***

Three friends embark on a road trip as part of a master plan of becoming skilled thieves so that they can live out the rest of their days in riches and relaxation. There's the cocky troublemaker Dignan (Owen Wilson), who has concocted this plan and has every bit of faith it will work. There's the more reserved and timid Anthony (Luke Wilson), who has just left a voluntary mental hospital due to what he says is exhaustion. Rounding out the trio is Bob, (Musgrave) an even more reserved and socially-awkward individual with major family issues. On the road, Anthony falls in love with a gorgeous hotel maid (Cavazos) and their plans begin to go horribly wrong for various reasons. Despite it all, the threesome joins up with a master criminal/landscaper (Caan) Dignan has past ties to, in an effort to make a successful heist on a cold storage facility. ***

Like him or not, it's hard to argue with the fact that Wes Anderson has a very unique way of making movies. The cinematography feels influenced by countless other classic directors, the musical soundtrack usually consists of 60s pop-rock tunes, the unique-but-great score always by Mark Mothersbaugh, and the characters and situations. Bottle Rocket, Anderson's debut, shows audiences that he had what it took to make great movies from the beginning. His movies, while certainly influenced by great directors of the past, look and sound like something completely and totally unique. ***

Chances are, if you haven't seen this film, you haven't heard of most of the actors present. And that's a shame, because there isn't a weak performance in the entire film. This movie is largely responsible for thrusting Owen Wilson (who plays Dignan and also co-wrote the film, as well as other Anderson movies) into the mainstream. Great performances also come from Owen's brother Luke as Anthony, and the seriously-underrated Robert Musgrave as Bob. James Caan doesn't have a whole lot of scenes in the film (and doesn't even show up until the film is about 2/3 over anyway), but he steals every scene he's in - particularly a confrontation with Bob's abusive brother at a country club. Every actor in the movie was well-selected, and their performances will make you care about these characters from start to end. ***

And then there's the production. Even in the beginning, on a fairly-low budget, Anderson knew how to make his movies look and sound fantastic. With a unique score by Mark Mothersbaugh (formerly of New Wave pop band Devo) and an assortment of 60s rock/pop tunes including work by Love and the Rolling Stones, this is distinctly an Anderson product. Combine this with just the right mixture of comedy and drama, and you have one hell of a final product. ---

Image And Sound:

Criterion never fails to please when it comes to transfers of films, classic and contemporary alike. Given the fact that it is now over a decade old and was shot on a fairly low budget, I didn't have exceedingly-high expectations for Bottle Rocket, let alone on an HD format. My doubts were shattered as soon as I popped the disc in my player. The detail level is strong, colors are vibrant and pop right off the screen (just look at Anthony's red jacket anytime it appears on screen), and no annoying remastering “shortcuts” have been employed. The grain level never spikes or becomes a distraction. A master audio track enhances the dialogue, the classic pop-rock tunes, and of course, Mark Mothersbaugh's classic score.

Not only does Criterion not fail to please on the disc quality front, they also typically provide tons of compelling extras. Bottle Rocket is no exception. Like all Criterion releases, this one includes an informative booklet (creatively modeled after Dignan's notebook) featuring a plethora of interesting reading material, and even an appreciation essay by Martin Scorsese! The material on the disc doesn't fail to please, either. Short films, an informative director/star commentary track, and a ton of deleted scenes only contribute to the excellence that is this package. If I have one complaint, it's that the packaging has a bit too much pink on it. Oh well, that's hardly an issue.

Final Words: