Pun Salad

Wes Anderson is a critical darling for movies like The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited, but—sorry, Wes, it's not you, it's me—he's always left me a little bit cold, as I've never found his characters to be very interesting, sympathetic, or amusing.

But all that changes with Moonrise Kingdom. I am a believer.

It is set on the small New England island of "New Penzance" It's the story of two young kids, Sam and Suzy, both considered oddballs. Sam is a bullied outcast in his "Khaki Scout" camp; Suzy is labeled a "troubled child" in her family and continually scans the island landscape with her binoculars.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Sam and Suzy are longtime pen pals, and have made plans to run off together. (A brief flashback shows their love-at-first-sight meeting.) Sam's disappearance flusters the scout camp's well-meaning but incompetent leader (Edward Norton). Suzy's mom and dad (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) are no less concerned. Drawn into the intrigue is the island's head cop (Bruce Willis). Who just happens to be carrying on an affair with Suzy's mom. Suzy and Sam must elude their pursuers while—finally—getting to know one another. All the while, a massive storm is bearing down upon the island.

A lot of the same Wes Anderson style is here: imaginative cinematography, acting that's stilted and deadpan, unexpected character quirks. (E.g., Suzy's mom uses a bullhorn to communicate with the rest of the family in their largish house.) It's charming and funny throughout.