Moonrise Kingdom

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Moonrise Kingdom Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Typically quirky Wes Anderson dramedy has lots of heart.

PG-13 2012 94 minutes
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 17 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 69 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Moonrise Kingdom -- a 1960s-set dramedy about two misfit tweens who run away with each other -- is, like most of director Wes Anderson's other films, atmospheric and loopy and moving: a mix that might confound younger audiences, even though the movie is about kids. Plus, the stories of their home lives are actually quite sad (one is an orphan; the other feels alone and misunderstood by her family). The young characters kiss each other, feel each other up, and are shown in their underwear. Swearing is pretty minimal ("hell," etc.), but there's some period-accurate smoking, and one 12-year-old character is served beer by an adult.

Community Reviews

BenedictWomack
BenedictWomack Adult
April 17, 2022
age 18+
Watched 17th Sunday (Easter). Is it true? Generally speaking, no. What sort of directorial decisions are taken? A lot of the work ? of telling the story is done, by the editing and the framing of pictures. ie the director is very much an actor? active. It's about young love - and there is a bit of violence, so is that an acknowledgement how things can get out of control. It's also? about desperately trying to rear kids? The Britten , high-minded music; the scouts-... It isn't finished? air. In a funny sort of way, you cannot relax watching it- like someone holds a goldfish bowl over a cliff. Liked the gnome! Thank you.
richleamington
richleamington Adult
May 24, 2021
age 12+

Brilliant film, one of Wes' best

As a whole it is perhaps one of Wes Anderson's easiest to watch, and I have many of his film posters in the spare room in my flat. Yes there is an actress who is 13 in her bra and pants. Yes a boy her age does touch her breasts gently and briefly, at her request. But that's about it. Frankly if you are an adult person who finds that arousing then YOU are the problem not the film. The girl is pretty, but she's just a girl and barely a teen at that. I wouldn't show this to a child who doesn't understand boy/girl things but then they wouldn't like the film anyway as Wes' humour and quirk here aren't for kids. However for girls and boys of a certain age this will show them how it should be. We have so many things in the world that sexualise underaged girls that to diss this is silly and counterproductive. And bear this in mind, it's a tiny fraction of the film that has any sexual content at all. The rest is just the two young thespians with Ed Norton and Bruce Willis bossing it. I often wonder if those who hate it so much, doth protest too much?
See all 17 parent reviews

What's the Story?

From the moment they set eyes on each other -- during a 1964 church pageant where she was dressed as a raven on Noah's ark and he was in a furry hat and khaki scout uniform -- Suzy (Kara Hayward) and Sam (Jared Gilman) knew they were made for each other. Suzy's parents think she's a "troubled" child; Sam lives in a foster home with "parents" who barely foster him. But in each other, they find a soulmate -- or at least a best friend -- and Suzy asks Sam to write to her. A year later, they decide to run away together to a special cove they christen Moonrise Kingdom, setting off a search party that includes Suzy's unhappily married parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), the lonely police chief (Bruce Willis), and a hapless, earnest khaki scout leader (Edward Norton).

Is It Any Good?

MOONRISE KINGDOM is precious. It's also almost stiflingly stylized, an elliptical concoction with odd characters and peculiar storylines and overly, specifically gorgeous set design that strains the senses. But it still shines like a well-cut gem, with delicate layers and exquisite characters that live in a world you've never seen before but don't mind visiting and a plot that sneaks up on you with quiet heartbreak.

The two young leads, Hayward and Gilman, are keepers; they're so unaffected that they're effective -- they seem like real people asking hard questions and struggling to connect and be grounded in a world in which adults are moorless. They're each other's match in the funky ark meant to survive this rain-soaked world experiencing its own flood. Anderson is an auteur. To see his films is to give yourself over to his singular, sometimes claustrophobic vision. But with Moonrise Kingdom, surrendering to Andersonland is a pleasure. Don't think about it too much; allow yourself to be engulfed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what Moonrise Kingdom is saying about the adults in these children's lives. Why do they seem so hapless? Are any of them role models?

  • Are Wes Anderson's movies funny, sad, or both. Why? How is his style of comedy different from other filmmakers'? How is this movie similar to and different from his other films?

  • Why are Sam and Suzy drawn to each other? What do they offer each other? Do they seem like real 12-year-olds?

Movie Details

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