Scout's honour

Rating: 7/10 (12 February 2014)

My young son watched the start of the movie and immediately exclaimed that it reminded him of Fantastic Mr Fox. So right from the off, it is a Wes Anderson film with its quirky photography and performances.
You also get the Anderson regulars such as Billy Murray, with newcomers such as Bruce Willis and Ed Norton.
Norton as the offbeat scoutmaster fits in well here and we see a kind of performance from him that's been missing for a few years.
The real stars are the youngsters. Its a tale of two pre-pubescent, difficult children who fall in love and run off with the adults searching for them. One of them is an orphan, rejected by his foster family and social services may farm him out to a home or even worse.
I suppose young kids kissing or exploring their sexuality might be off putting for some but it does have real tenderness and emotion.
It is a shame that the pace wavers and loses focus here and there. Maybe the film needed to be tighter but is no less rewarding.