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DVD Review: A map provides direction to ‘Moonrise Kingdom’

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After the less-than-enthusiastic reception of “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and “The Darjeeling Limited,” Wes Anderson recovered with his delightful animated version of Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and the live-action “Moonrise Kingdom.” The latter was arguably the best film of 2012; it’s been out on video previously, but now Criterion has issued a supplement-packed Blu-ray (and double DVD).

The story — about a 12-year-old Khaki Scout (Jared Gilman) and a precocious 13-year-old girl (Kara Hayward), who run off together into the wilds of New Penzance Island — has the same deadpan whimsy as Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums.” It also has Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman, plus a wonderful score by Alexandre Desplat, built around Benjamin Britten’s “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.”

The Blu-ray accurately reproduces the film’s audio and video, and there is more than an hour of supplements, of widely varying quality. The best is “Exploring the Set,” the longest of the four sections of “The Making of Moonrise Kingdom.” Bill Murray also provides an amusing three-minute solo, clearly unscripted.

I’m not a big fan of physical extras — i.e., tchotchkes — packed in video cases, but this one comes with a map of the fictional New Penzance Island, which can actually be useful.

Finally, there’s a somewhat strange commentary track, “hosted by” Jake Ryan, one of the youngest kids in the movie. He asks questions of Anderson throughout; they’re the only two in the room, so Ryan dials up co-writer Roman Coppola, Murray, Norton, and Schwartzman to contribute over the phone. Anderson is a singularly awkward presence; he sounds utterly ill at ease with the whole commentary thing.

Moonrise Kingdom (Criterion, Blu-ray, $39.95; DVD, two discs, $29.95)

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ANDY KLEIN is the film critic for Marquee. He can also be heard on “FilmWeek” on KPCC-FM (89.3).

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