Simple, odd, sweet. Moonrise Kingdom takes us back to a simpler time, when scout masters seemingly knew all things. When a successful life could be gotten simply by earning merit badges. But, of course, that was only the façade that a very few kids somehow realized they didn’t fit into. Moonrise Kingdom follows two such adolescents as they march out of conventional life straight into the island backwoods equipped with all the smarts of a young scout.

This is a classic Wes Anderson film -- deadpan delivery, sidewise tracking cameras, and a humor that arises out of awkwardness and oddity. That may or may not be your flavor in a film. And while I like Anderson’s quirks, he has not proven that such eccentricity guarantees a good film. His "Rushmore," was grand, but "Royal Tenenbaums," wasn’t (despite great acting talent), "Life Aquatic" was also marred (but I loved the Murray/Wilson performances). Regarding the set-up, Moonrise Kingdom doesn’t help us acclimate. It dives right into its brand of tone/timing as we gradually start tapping our toes to its unusual beat. You might find yourself with narrowed eyes for the first 10 minutes. If you were at home watching it on cable, you’d tentatively have your finger on the clicker saying, “Ah, I’m giving this one more minute.” But you’d likely end up giving it the full 10-15 minutes it needs to reel you in.

In the end, the film’s an homage to young, innocent, naïve love. Which makes for a winning compliment to the odd humor.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --