Genre: Comedy.
Cast: Large and ecclectic.
Characters: Melancholy or exuberant.
Dialogue: Witty
Mood: Bittersweet
Soundtrack: British invasion rock, Mark Mothersbaugh.
Cinematography: Long tracking shots.
Editing: Slow motion.
Props: Artfully detailed.
The end result is a style of movie entirely unique and familiar. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Many great directors from Woody Allen to Stanley Kubrick to Alfred Hitchcock have made excellent films that all had similar characteristics. But I think with Wes Anderson his movies share less variety, and after six films (seven if you count the short Hotel Chevalier) there's a risk of cliched predictability. Look at Kevin Smith, that man-child keeps remaking the same dick joke movies over and over!
Thankfully Anderson's newest movie, Moonrise Kingdom, feels fresh and thoroughly enjoyable, I think in large part due to the cute story of an innocent first love between two adorable (but not wretchedly so) adolescents. Also, the movie is set on a picturesque undeveloped island in New England during 1965, harkening back to simpler times when boy scouts were unpoliticized by homophobia and telecommunication relied on phone operators at switchboards. As for the soundtrack, I think Anderson breaks form here and features a lot of classical music, all quite beautiful.
Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzmann, both Anderson staples, appear in the movie and are mildly funny. The real stars are the children, who are just hilarious. Edward Norton and Bruce Willis give great supporting performances as earnestly dim authority figures. Harvey Keitel, who is never not awesome, makes a brief appearance, first as a quicky glimpsed photo in a scout magazine and then later as a supreme troop commander.
In summary, if you love Wes Anderson movies, check it out. And if you don't, well, this one might change that.
