Moonrise Kingdom

Well, there is good and bad news aside from the obvious that Anderson isn't using futura as his font. But on the good side- it is whimsical and fanciful and really is a fairy tale or sweet story he is telling. I have no IDEA why this is a good thing because in the end, the flat faced, monotoned performances by the lead children is enough to kill the audience.  You know how bad Matthew Weiner's kid is in Mad Men? Well, these kids are WORSE. Flat affects are one thing, but no personality at all gives the audience no sense of liking the kids we are supposed to be rooting for. Because it is Wes Anderson, it is so stylized that it feels phony. But if you saw the Royal Tennenbaums or The Life Aquatic (or even Rushmore), then you have to expect it. So you can't complain about it like I do. I'm the critic here. I had to see it.  But it was, in two words, charmingly boring. The script was full of one liners that are pretentious. It just tries too hard.  I think Anderson's best work was The Fantastic Mr Fox and nothing has happened to change that. Maybe I just can't suspend belief long enough to see this as anything other than self-indulgence. Sigh. But if you are a fan, it will not disappoint because it will be everything you expect.