A Wes Anderson movie looks like a Wes Anderson movie. His new one is no different. Careful typography, frontal portraits, ensemble cast, eccentric characters, and color book backgrounds make this bird spotted right away. It's a market he's cornered even though many have attempted to copy (Submarine) unsuccessfully.
The trailer has an ingenious start. Young girls looking in the mirror dressed as birds in delicate costumes before a play to start are interrupted by someone clearing his throat. They turn to face the camera and a boy scout asks them, "What kind of bird are you?" The grey sparrow speaks pointing to each of them answering his question. "No," he interrupts, "What kind of bird are you?" asking the dark feathered face in the middle. A choir sings as the camera focuses on her painted face. Then a plan. Anderson's movies always have a plan. This one involves the boy scout running away from summer camp with a girl. Now everyone must find them. Ed Norton, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and, inevitably and thankfully, Bill Murray are the adults sent to rescue them. The craftsmanship in art direction is all there. From letters written plotting the escape to a tree house sitting atop a thin trunk like a toothpick. The schoolboy setting recalls Rushmore if that movie's protagonist, Max Fischer, was able to go to summer camp in his younger days. This could be a retelling of a pivotal point in that high schooler's memoirs.
And like Rushmore, this movie is missing Owen Wilson. A longtime co-writer and the most frequent of his collaborators, many theories have posited the significance of his involvement. His absence doesn't look to dilute this movie's creative powers. No one will be homesick at summer camp this year.
Opening May 25, 2012, Verdict: Must SeeNote: This summer is looking to be one of the greatest. With must sees such as Prometheus, Dark Knight Rises, ParaNorman, and now Moonrise Kingdom. Expect lots of fireworks.
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