Skip to main content

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

What is it about? 

Two twelve year old children who are misunderstood, fall in love, and run away into the wilderness which causes a mixed party to search for them. 

Who is in it? 

Jared Gilman - Sam

Kara Hayward - Suzy

Favorite Scene: 

After several letters hashing out there plan, Sam and Suzy finally meet in the meadow, where they begin to embark on their journey to setting up camp. 

Favorite Quote: 

Sam: [to Suzy] Are you de-pressed? 
---
Walt Bishop: Our daughter's been abducted by one of these beige lunatics! 
---

Sam: What happened to your hand? 
Suzy: I got hit in the mirror. 
Sam: Really? How did that happen? 
Suzy: I lost my temper at myself. 
---
Sam: [in letter] Dear Suzy, I accidentally built a fire while I was sleepwalking. I have no memory of this, but my foster parents think I am lying. 

Review:

Moonrise Kingdom is one of those movies that really should have more awareness that it actually does. It's another of the Sundance films (A Sundance winner as well) that really could make a case for a quality box-office film. It's very funny, very quirky, and offers a really nice story of two characters. 

With talents such as Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Ed Norton, one would think they would carry the film. However, it's the work of Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward that really does the heavy lifting. Both bring their characters to a point of really forcing the viewer to see them for their flawed characters, but adopt them for the love that they share. At the end of the film, the two characters really do grow on you. 

However, the one complaint that really hurts Moonrise Kingdom is that it feels like it never gets to that next gear. While the plot is presented, and the characters are developed, the film really feels like it fails to offer more that it really teases, or really could have brought to the table. 

Because of this, Moonrise Kingdom is an interesting film. Really well-done, but one that, for this viewer at least, just really stalled mid-to-late in the movie. 

Overall, a very interesting film that is definitely worth seeing. 

Grade: 2.75/5
Labels:

Recently Read Posts

Sunday Sundown Rundown - 5/15/22

3 Up 1. California Church Heroes - It's soooooooo weird that the top spot is a result of something so horrific as our ongoing domestic terrorism problem of mass shootings. Still, the courage shown by the five members who stopped the shooter deserves it. Those individuals tackled the shooter and tied him up with an electric cord, while wounded.  It's so tough to fathom that those possibilities are within the realm of your Sunday worship, within the sanctity of your church.  But such is America... 2. Olivia Rodrigo & Drake - Rodrigo continues to reap rewards on an excellent album in 2021 as she topped the Billboard Music Awards with seven awards. There was also Drake who I'm beginning to sense we won't really appreciate his body of work until he's near the end of his career. But yeah, Drake poured in a few more for the legacy debates and discussions.
Read more

Dope Sports Threads - Nike City Connect Series (Kansas City Royals)

The Kansas City Royals' City Connect uniforms were a design that I wholeheartedly looked forward to. The Royals' current uniforms and aesthetics are some of the best in baseball, and for a city like Kansas City, it just feels like there was enough room creatively to do something historically enlightening (more so something many do not already know about the city), or a simple approach that builds off of the current design.  To be honest, it may sound simple, but the use of "blue" by the Royals is fantastic.  What we got is a concept that continued the awesome blue approach, with a design concept that is just as cool as their everyday threads. However, where I feel disappointed is the safe approach to this. I would have loved to see them lean into the rich history of the Negro Leagues that is Kansas City - a team (and city) able to do so more than others. That could have been really cool, enriching, meaningful, and somewhat different from the norm - maybe even an ode t
Read more

Royal Rumble 2022 Review: "Struggles of the Current Product Came Glaring Through the Cracks"

The Royal Rumble is easily my favorite wrestling event of the year - solely for the sake of the match, the aura of the pageantry, and all of the drama that comes with it. Nothing is like that buzzer going off, the surprise entrant, and that possible encounter we've been waiting for, or we thought would never happen. It's pro wrestling's All-Star Game in a nutshell.   The event carries so much nostalgia for this wrestling fan, that no matter how bad I think the WWE product currently is - and believe me, I'm no longer avidly watching it - I will still plan my weekend around the event. Unfortunately, this year's Rumble provided that nostalgia, but the sheer struggles of the current product - again, at least to and for this fan - came glaring through the cracks.  Overall, I found the event to be fun. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns was awesome. Mickie James getting her flowers was super cool, you can't replicate that big fight feel of Lashley vs. Lesnar, and of course
Read more

Today, and Someday

Today,  I push to leave on time, to place my ambition on rewind,  to conquer a list,  to feed the drive, to escape amiss Someday,  I'll work to return home soon, with purpose in tune,  to pursue the extent,  to feed my heart, for Today, I repent. 
Read more