The Kings of Summer
3 stars out of 4
By Brett Takeshita
Recently, we've been getting multiple teen-centered, indie, coming-of-age films that have impressed. The critically-acclaimed The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Moonrise Kingdom are two prime examples. And now in 2013, we have the wonderful The Kings of Summer. It's a charming, quirky, warmhearted film that will thoroughly please audiences.
The main plot of The Kings of Summer may sound familiar to you. Joe (Nick Robinson) is a high schooler who seeks a life of freedom. He's tired of his overbearing father (Nick Offerman) constantly surveilling his life. Then, one day, he decides that enough is enough. Joe leaves home and sets off for the woods with his best friend, Patrick (Gabriel Basso), and a strange kid named Biaggio (Moises Arias). They build a home and teach themselves how to survive in the wild. However, is the life free from overbearing parents and home responsibilities really as great as it seems? This is one of the questions that the teens struggle with as they shape their own lives, and discover the truths about each other and themselves.
If you like sweet, funny coming-of-age films, then The Kings of Summer is for you. While it isn't completely original or surprising, it's executed in a way that is always engaging and sometimes quite lovely. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts is deft at making this film fun and intimate. He has a great understanding of the characters, and thus, he knows how to direct his actors very well. He also understands tone. He is able to shift from wild comedy to quiet drama with ease. Even when the script by Chris Galletta -- which is, for the most part, very nicely done -- sometimes goes off the rails and into random directions, Vogt-Roberts never loses control over the essence of the picture. He has a clear grasp of what this film is: complex and likable teenage kids attempting to discover who they are and what life they want to live.
The Kings of Summer is blessed with an extraordinary cast featuring many bright newcomers. Nick Robinson is phenomenal. He is funny and charming and oh so relatable. We truly understand Joe and want him to achieve success in the woods. Robinson makes this deep character totally compelling. Basso is also outstanding as the serious and tough Patrick. He brings some heft to his character and to the film. And Moises Arias is a riot. He elicits the biggest laughs in the film. Biaggio is such a bizarre and wildly unpredictable character, and Arias completely goes for each scene without an ounce of hesitation. The chemistry between these three boys is so natural and so lovely. I completely bought their friendship because they live and breathe these characters with such conviction. It's an absolute joy to watch. And lastly, the supporting cast is excellent: Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Marc Evan Jackson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Alison Brie. Each one of these actors shines with their comedic talent. They deliver laughs and heart.
I want to give a shout-out to Ross Riege for his incredible cinematography. The sequences in this film are breathtakingly beautiful. He gets some of the most gorgeous shots of nature, whether they be little bugs or green pastures, that are stunning. I also loved the scenes in which the boys run around and do wild things such as slice various objects with their swords. The scenes are shot in a hyperrealistic slow-motion, and they are so cool to behold. To sum all of this up neatly, the cinematography of The Kings of Summer is amongst the finest of the year.
The Kings of Summer does not reinvent the coming-of-age drama or the indie comedy. Rather, it pays tribute to familiar films that came before it, and it goes about itself in a wonderful way. It's a film that I imagine will resonant with many teenagers and young adults. This might be the best comedy thus far in 2013. Three stars out of four.
The main plot of The Kings of Summer may sound familiar to you. Joe (Nick Robinson) is a high schooler who seeks a life of freedom. He's tired of his overbearing father (Nick Offerman) constantly surveilling his life. Then, one day, he decides that enough is enough. Joe leaves home and sets off for the woods with his best friend, Patrick (Gabriel Basso), and a strange kid named Biaggio (Moises Arias). They build a home and teach themselves how to survive in the wild. However, is the life free from overbearing parents and home responsibilities really as great as it seems? This is one of the questions that the teens struggle with as they shape their own lives, and discover the truths about each other and themselves.
If you like sweet, funny coming-of-age films, then The Kings of Summer is for you. While it isn't completely original or surprising, it's executed in a way that is always engaging and sometimes quite lovely. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts is deft at making this film fun and intimate. He has a great understanding of the characters, and thus, he knows how to direct his actors very well. He also understands tone. He is able to shift from wild comedy to quiet drama with ease. Even when the script by Chris Galletta -- which is, for the most part, very nicely done -- sometimes goes off the rails and into random directions, Vogt-Roberts never loses control over the essence of the picture. He has a clear grasp of what this film is: complex and likable teenage kids attempting to discover who they are and what life they want to live.
The Kings of Summer is blessed with an extraordinary cast featuring many bright newcomers. Nick Robinson is phenomenal. He is funny and charming and oh so relatable. We truly understand Joe and want him to achieve success in the woods. Robinson makes this deep character totally compelling. Basso is also outstanding as the serious and tough Patrick. He brings some heft to his character and to the film. And Moises Arias is a riot. He elicits the biggest laughs in the film. Biaggio is such a bizarre and wildly unpredictable character, and Arias completely goes for each scene without an ounce of hesitation. The chemistry between these three boys is so natural and so lovely. I completely bought their friendship because they live and breathe these characters with such conviction. It's an absolute joy to watch. And lastly, the supporting cast is excellent: Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Marc Evan Jackson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Alison Brie. Each one of these actors shines with their comedic talent. They deliver laughs and heart.
I want to give a shout-out to Ross Riege for his incredible cinematography. The sequences in this film are breathtakingly beautiful. He gets some of the most gorgeous shots of nature, whether they be little bugs or green pastures, that are stunning. I also loved the scenes in which the boys run around and do wild things such as slice various objects with their swords. The scenes are shot in a hyperrealistic slow-motion, and they are so cool to behold. To sum all of this up neatly, the cinematography of The Kings of Summer is amongst the finest of the year.
The Kings of Summer does not reinvent the coming-of-age drama or the indie comedy. Rather, it pays tribute to familiar films that came before it, and it goes about itself in a wonderful way. It's a film that I imagine will resonant with many teenagers and young adults. This might be the best comedy thus far in 2013. Three stars out of four.
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