Moonrise Kingdom, a movie I’d pay to see twice…

… Not only would I pay to see Moonrise Kingdom two times, I’d probably shell out the extra bucks to purchase it on DVD just to have in my movie library. I may even buy the soundtrack. Yes, it was that good and perfectly Wes Anderson-y, down to the minutest detail.

I was absolutely delighted by Bob Balaban as an omniscient gnome-like narrator.

If you are a fan of Wes Anderson, and are familar with his quirky characters and fascinating story telling you will not be disappointed in the slightest. Moonrise Kingdom is Anderson first “period piece” set in the sepia toned nineteen sixties. Everything about it evokes nostalgia for childhood. Kids are strange and literal creatures, and this movie pulls you into their strange and literal world with an outstanding cast of Anderson regulars, like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. Every Wes Anderson film is like revisiting old friends. Unlike Woody Allen’s latest, To Rome With Love [which sucked, by the way] , which is the typical Allen story told over and over again with stereotypical neurotic characters we simply can’t care about; Anderson movies too tell very similar stories but from the varying perspectives of bizarrely lovable characters and this particular one is topped off with a delicious warm and fuzzy ending. I don’t want to give too much away, but this one… yeah, this one you should see.

Now for the technicalities: It’s rated PG-13 for the adult themes of adultery [but no sex] and some mild violence involving lefty scissors, a bow and arrow, and a dog named Snoopy that may be a tad upsetting for young children. It’s also a young romance story with kissing and junk, so young kids will probably find it more gross than interesting. I think there are a few curse words too, but no F Bombs or GD’s. This is a perfectly acceptable film for teens and young adults but I think they’d be bored senseless. They wouldn’t get it, I fear.

Related Links: A video review by Steven Greydanus, in it he discusses the symbolism of the flood and marriage portrayed in this film.