The Kings of Summer (R)
12/03/14 22:00 Filed in: 2013
Starring: Nick Robinson
August 2013
This review was originally tweeted in Real-time from the back row of a movie theater and appears @BackRoweReviews. Though efforts were made to tease rather than ruin this movie’s memorable lines and moments, some spoilers may exist in the following evaluation. The original tweets appear in black, while follow-up comments appear in red. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. All ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
Looks like the kind of birdhouse I’d build. My carpenter brother would be mortified.
Game night. Avocado meat?
Goes well with spam pâté.
A montage of horsing around and a man-ifesto.
Ah, to be able to return to such simple times…when life felt limitless and summers seemed to last for years.
Every movie should have a Biaggio. He’s a hoot.
Caught red-handed with Boston Market.
A blatant violation of the Bro Code…not Barney’s.
Proving once again that Monopoly is the most divisive board game ever devised.
Back to civilization. Joe keeps the ‘stache.
The first sign of manhood?
One parting shot of the ramshackle kingdom. Dreams of independence and anonymity can’t last forever.
Stay after the credits for more Biaggio high jinks.
Final analysis: a heart-warming, if quirky, coming of age tale.
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 4 stars. Unique enough to find its way into the pantheon of runaway teen movies.
Pacing is definitely an issue here as is the plot, which generates very little tension throughout the movie…even the gimmicky snake scene doesn’t provide much jeopardy. In fact, the film doesn’t even have an antagonist. It does have quite the wild card though in the form of funny man Biaggio (Moises Arias); an unforgettable character that, due to the movie’s indie status, will be enjoyed by far too few people.