Scout Out
Moonrise Kingdom
Review by Ross Anthony

Simple, odd, sweet. Moonrise Kingdom takes us back to a simpler time, when scout masters seemingly knew all things. When a successful life could be gotten simply by earning merit badges. But, of course, that was only the façade that a very few kids somehow realized they didn’t fit into. Moonrise Kingdom follows two such adolescents as they march out of conventional life straight into the island backwoods equipped with all the smarts of a young scout.

Moonrise Kingdom This is a classic Wes Anderson film -- deadpan delivery, sidewise tracking cameras, and a humor that arises out of awkwardness and oddity. That may or may not be your flavor in a film. And while I like Anderson’s quirks, he has not proven that such eccentricity guarantees a good film. His "Rushmore," was grand, but "Royal Tenenbaums," wasn’t (despite great acting talent), "Life Aquatic" was also marred (but I loved the Murray/Wilson performances). Regarding the set-up, Moonrise Kingdom doesn’t help us acclimate. It dives right into its brand of tone/timing as we gradually start tapping our toes to its unusual beat. You might find yourself with narrowed eyes for the first 10 minutes. If you were at home watching it on cable, you’d tentatively have your finger on the clicker saying, “Ah, I’m giving this one more minute.” But you’d likely end up giving it the full 10-15 minutes it needs to reel you in.

In the end, the film’s an homage to young, innocent, naïve love. Which makes for a winning compliment to the odd humor.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --


  • Moonrise Kingdom. Copyright © 2012 .
  • Starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward. Directed by Wes Anderson, Written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson. Focus Features.

Grade..........................A- (3/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Tuesday, 10-Jul-2012 10:24:18 PDT