Movie Review: "Moonrise Kingdom"

"Moonrise Kingdom": B-.  Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) are a couple of twelve year olds whose quirky and sometimes unsocial personalities draw them to each other. Sam is an orphan and a Khaki Scout, whose troop leader is the unintentionally funny Scout Master Ward, humorously played by Edward Norton. The scouts' camp is on an island called New Penzance, where the kids learn camping and survival skills. Those come in handy when Sam talks the mysterious Suzy into sneaking off by themselves through the deep forest to see what adventures lie ahead. The two of them set out on foot, and are long gone before Scout Master Ward and Suzy's parents, Walt and Laura Bishop (Bill Murray and the always excellent Frances McDormand), get wind of what has transpired.

Bruce Willis plays Captain Sharp, the chief cop on the island, where nary a crime - - or even a disturbance of any kind - - occurs. Sharp is having an affair with Laura Bishop, something that's not easy to pull off given the compact size of New Penzance. When the kids disappear, Sharp has his hands full, answering questions peppered at him by the social worker (Tilda Swinton) responsible for Sam's well being, and by the Bishops. Meanwhile, Scout Master Ward organizes a search party comprised of Sam's fellow Khaki Scouts, most of whom are armed with dangerous weapons.

Much of the movie's scenes follow Sam and Suzy while they are on the lamb. As a young scout, Sam is well versed in what it takes to prepare for an outdoor expedition, and he brings along a lot of gear. Suzy, conversely, has an old style overnight bag and a small portable record player. They are pre-teens, so probably too young to get into the kind of trouble that older kids with proverbial "raging hormones" might encounter, but still old enough to be inquisitive about the opposite sex. Suzy's dad imagines the worst. The social worker is a finger pointer. Captain Sharp might be in over his head, but is, nevertheless, the voice of reason.

This movie has drawn rave reviews from the critics, and judging by its longevity at the first run theaters - - Ten bucks a ticket for a Monday matinee at West End? You can't be serious! - - it is a hit with local moviegoers too. The director is Wes Anderson, and he obviously has his fans. I gave "Moonrise Kingdom" a B- because it was't quite as good as what I anticipated. The kids are cute, no doubt. But the problems they face while on their island escapade do not come close to those in classic stories like Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island or even The Wizard Of Oz. There is more action taking place among the adults than there is with Sam and Suzy.

I did enjoy many of Anderson's touches, such as Laura Bishop using a bullhorn to call her family to dinner in their lighthouse home. Or Scout Master Ward, ridiculously dressed in a scout uniform, dragging on a weed to help calm his nerves. Or the fact that Tilda Swinton's character does not have a name, but is referred to in the movie and in the credits as "Social Services."  Or Captain Sharp sharing a cold beer with Sam at the kitchen table. The best part of the movie was a short scene in which Suzy's father is so tense and pent up with emotion that he announces to his family that he's "going out to cut down a tree." He brings with him an axe and a bottle of wine. If offbeat humor is up your alley or you are simply a Wes Anderson fan, then by all means plunk down your ten dollar bill and enjoy the show.