95% Moonrise Kingdom

All Critics (140) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (133) | Rotten (7) | DVD (1)

Though undeniably smart and charming, "Moonrise Kingdom" loves itself the way the callow Holden Caulfield loves himself: unconditionally. Salinger understood the problem with that. Anderson may not.

The latest unadulterated delight from Wes Anderson, director of "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

The usual complaints and caveats about Anderson - he's precious, his characters have no grounding in the real world - can be made about Moonrise Kingdom, but so what?

Anderson and his actors are able to convey more genuine feeling through these devices than most filmmakers can with more-traditional means.

One knock against some of Anderson's previous efforts is that they're too clever - so clever, in fact, that the humanity gets sucked out of them. That doesn't happen here.

Anderson's best feature since Rushmore, in part because, like that film, it takes as its primary subject matter odd, precocious children, rather than the damaged and dissatisfied adults they will one day become.

More unbearable Anderson whimsy.

When the storm arrives, it's a doozy, especially as it intensifies a final, thrilling chase sequence.

Only Anderson could find the subtle brilliance in a shirtless, ax-wielding Murray dejectedly declaring "I'm going outside to find a tree to chop down."

Did you think Wes Anderson had no more tricks up his sleeve, that he was just showing us the same thing over and over again, that he couldn't surprise us? Wrong.

"Moonrise Kingdom," which could be Anderson's most honest movie yet, also contains arguably his two most mature characters, who both happen to be 12.

Exactly what you expect from Anderson, and also dangerously close to overstaying its welcome.

The performances from Hayward and Gilman, as runaways, are at the heart of the film, and they manage to seem both innocent and powerful.

Phonies may complain that Anderson's island of misfit toys is a retreat from the real world, but for pure-hearted adventurers who share the secret map, "Moonrise Kingdom" is a joy that cannot be eclipsed.

It's sweet, charming, quirky, imaginative, poignant, and whimsical. Just what a Wes Anderson film should be.

Anderson has trouble sticking the landing, but "Moonrise Kingdom" is in many ways the most satisfying flight he's taken us on in years.

"Moonrise Kingdom" takes place in a world where everything seems pleasantly faded, where people read crackly-covered library books rather than e-books, and where young people are allowed to be genuinely innocent.

A remarkable story, stopping to survey the author's superlative descriptions and attention to the tiniest fragments of heartbreak. It's a treat to watch unfold, sweetened gorgeously by Anderson's magical manner of thinking.

I loved every second of "Moonrise Kingdom."

Thoroughly well scripted and well-acted. May be the greatest work to date from one of the greatest directors working.

Moonrise Kingdom?s heartfelt search and rescue of a feel-good result provides a perfect, even musical counterpoint to its regimented summer camp.

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