Not a don't-miss-it, yet nevertheless a do-see-it

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2013)

Moonrise Kingdom combines elements of Ballad of Jack and Rose (set on an isolated island off New England; coming-of-age / loss-of-innocence), Mermaids (set in the early 1960s; coming-of-age / loss-of-innocence -- in turn reminding me of Hideous Kinky, wherein hipster mom has older daughter who longs to be "straight"), yet manages to be completely original. In addition, it's completely engaging, i.e., not once did I ask myself, "Where the hell is this going?" as I do while viewing many recent films, even ones I end up liking. Along with Moonrise Kingdom being a delightful period piece (saddle shoes, rotary-dial phones and a switchboard operator, the all-important close 'n' play record player) the acting, the dialog, the plot, and the setting combine to produce a totally entertaining product. Not a don't-miss-it, yet nevertheless a do-see-it.