I never really understand why people rail against directors who create films that are “their style”. Given the topic of this review, I am obviously speaking of the work of Wes Anderson, a director who often has his detractors for creating films that are obviously his.  I’ve never grasped the issue - isn’t it strong direction which leads to an immediate understanding of the creator, especially one with such a signature feel to his work?  In turn, before I continue on in this review for Moonrise Kingdom, I preface it with this simple note - if you are a fan of Wes Anderson’s style, you will love it. If you aren’t, simply look elsewhere.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, what an absolute joy Moonrise Kingdom is.  At it’s core, the film is a tale of young romance, but one with the nuance and complication one would expect from the pen and eye of Wes Anderson.  The romance is between two misunderstood youths, an orphaned khaki scout (think: boy scout) and a moody pre-teen girl.  They find function in their mutual disfunction, and over a series of letters, decide to leave their sleepy island lives for one spent together.  Of course, the adults in their lives find out about this, and the pursuit is on.

Portrayed by first-time actors Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, both of whom were born in the (holy crap) late 90s, scout Sam and his misunderstood gal pal Suzy are a revelation.  Each perfectly mixes the natural innocence of their youth with a world-weary confidence that beguiles their age. Essentially, they are the perfect protagonists for a Wes Anderson film, both living in, and out of, their time.  Set in the mid 1960’s, the film wraps our lovebirds with an incredible supporting cast, including Sam’s Scoutleader (Ed Norton), Suzy’s parents (Bill Murray and Francis McDormand, who are great to see play off of each other), and the local head of island police, played by Bruce Willis. You forget sometimes how great of an actor that Willis can be when he wants, and this is certainly an instance where he decided to be great.  I hope this isn’t the last time that he and Anderson work together, it’d be nice to see Bruno end up in future films.

As always, however, the film is a delight for the eyes and ears. Anderson stays with his standard of beautiful, unique tracking shots, complimented with lush, detail heavy locations and pitch perfect on screen typography.  It’s the type of movie where you can lose yourself in every frame, and appreciate every detail. Luckily, Wes Anderson is the type of director who allows you to breathe in every moment and that works wonderfully here.

I feel like I’m wrapping up this review early, but Moonrise Kingdom isn’t really a story full of compilation. It’s a well thought out storybook of a tale, one that you will probably find yourself wanting to revisit often, and for it’s 94 minute length, it’s a journey you’re happy to be on.

If you are looking for a small film during this action packed summer to fill you full of joy and leave a smile on your face - Moonrise Kingdom is it. Check it out when it’s at a theater near you, you won’t regret it.