Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

If you haven't yet read Maurice Sendak's classic book, you can go ahead and do that now because its only 347 words long. This review I'm typing ended up being almost twice as long.The point I'm making is that the original book didn't have much of a plot; its charm is in the imaginative illustrations. So the task of adapting the book to a 1 hr 41 min feature film was very ambitious, to say the least.Let's complicate matters. In the original story the main character, Max, isn't a very likable protagonist. In almost every drawing he is shown with a malicious smirk on his face as he causes mischief such as chasing the family dog around with a fork, and then later commanding others to do his bidding with a tyrannical ferocity. I won't go into a discussion of Sendak's book, but let's just say it's not your typical cutesy fable or morality play.Quirky and ofttimes cynical director Spike Jonze (known for the excellent "Being John Malkovich") was well suited for the job. During production, Jonze consulted Sendak himself, so we can guess that the author's original intent was mostly preserved. The result is that this is definitely no Disney flick. If you're looking to take your kid to a "Beauty and the Beast" entertainer, hmm, you might wanna look elsewhere.Great, so if that didn't scare you off, let's talk about what's good about this film. One: they didn't corrupt the original bratty concept of Max. Although he's considerably softer around the edges than the fork wielding demonchild in the book, he's still not exactly likable, and so he's almost an anti-hero. Of course he's still a cute kid, so you can view him as that, but I like to think he's a troubled juvenile with some serious psychological issues brewing.Two: the visuals & special effects are primo. The master puppeteers of Jim Henson's group (Henson himself died a few years prior to filming) provided amazing 7ft tall animatronic puppet suits with actors inside which were augmented by subtle cgi. In other words, to all my fellow cgi haters, this was done very tastefully. Sets and landscapes are jaw dropping, having been filmed in the majestic forests & deserts of Australia.Three: the music is pretty cool. Composed and performed by Karen O (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs), the score and songs are edgy but still cinematic enough to blend with the film. Most of the songs are simple haunting melodies with an alternative rock vibe. If you're not familiar with Karen O, think of maybe Bjork.Four: it has a pretty complex message that may be lost on young kids, but adults may get it. It's the idea that life's problems aren't so easy to solve, even when everyone does exactly as you say. You might even sense socio-political overtones as Max attempts to create order in his imagined kingdom while learning that you can't please everyone all the time. This is where the film deviates from the book where Max is a tyrant who imposes his rule over obedient and mostly mindless subjects. Here, the creatures have individual personalities and opinions. So in the film, Max faces the reality of making mistakes. He isn't so sure of himself, and his choices often lead him to deep regrets. I count this as a big plus, even though it may confuse young kids who are expecting a simple, digestible fairytale. Don't be surprised if your child comes out slightly confused, if not disturbed. (Note, there's a bit of violence... no blood, but a character or two might get slightly maimed).I would categorize "Where the Wild Things Are" with other fairy tales for grownups, like "Willy Wonka" (as well as the recent remake "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory") and an obscure 70s gem with Gene Wilder "The Little Prince". This film is probably closer to the children's side than those others which were clearly skewed toward adults. That's probably where it lost a little punch in my opinion. But it's still a great flick that does a nice job honoring a classic book. By the way... wtf? Did I just use the word "socio-political" to describe a children's flick? I need to get out more :/

I have never read "Where the Wild Things Are" but that's fine. I initially got attracted to it after seeing some of the monsters. And after seeing some rave reviews, I figured it must be worth a watch. Not really.The movie seems to really either hate or not give a crap about the characters. If the film doesn't, why show we? I'm not saying that the characters need to be golden, just well-developed; give me a reason to root for them. Jake LaMotta in "Raging Bull" is such a mean, despicable character; but we are all given reason to root for him, we feel bad when his family abandons him. In this film, the main character is a little #&%$ that I simply could not stand. I hated this kid! If he was well- developed and we were given reasons to like this kid, it would be different. There would have been the element of character complexity that I would have liked. Instead, the kid is a terrible person wrapped in an annoying outer layer.The kid's name is Max. He is very imaginative and wants to have fun. He makes an tiny igloo, but his older sister's friends smash it. He started a snowball fight with them and they were just having fun. He goes to hide in the tiny igloo hoping they will go away. He is in tears when they smash it and they are surprised to see his reaction. What do you expect!?!? He started the snowball fight! And the other kids were having fun too! Did Max really think that going inside his space would have stopped everything?? Max isn't a 3-year-old who is oblivious to things like these. There is a scene where Max is in class and his teacher is talking about the universe's expansion. So Max has got to be 10 at the bear-minimum. I know Max has an overactive imagination, but there's a huge difference between having an overactive imagination and sheer stupidity. He builds another fort inside his bedroom out of bedsheets and other household things. When he overhears his mother (Catherine Keener) has a date (Mark Ruffalo) in the living room, Max makes a huge scene. He has a bunny costume and is going nuts. His mother has never dated before? He has never had a talk about his mother dating? Believe it or not, this is where the move starts to go downhill.As his mother is trying to calm him down, Max bites her and runs away. He sails away on a boat where he meets the monsters that are the backbone of the film. When he come back home at the end, his mother is very happy to see him and they have some food together. Her clothes are not the same, so Max has clearly been gone for a few days, not just days in the world of the monsters. Any other parent would have grounded his ass and punished the hell out of him. This little runt gets off scot-free! I don't condone child abuse, but this kid needs serious discipline! If his mother did any kind of discipline or good parenting, Max would not have started the snowball fight and he would not have caused the ruckus in front of his mother's date.When Max ends up on the island with the monsters, he remains annoying and the monsters themselves aren't THAT special. I will admit, the monsters did look pretty cool. Was it a massive breakthrough or innovation in these creatures? Not at all. These are basically inferior muppets. Giant foam fury suits were made and the faces were cgi. Their land is rather generic, not enchanting in the slightest. Want enchanting land? Watch "Babe" or "Pan's Labyrinth." None of these monsters are interesting in the slightest. They are very monotone and naive. Max lies saying he is a powerful king and embellishes on some of his own experiences to make himself seem stronger. The only bits in this that aren't boring deal with the annoying kid that fool the monsters into thinking he is an invincible king. Some tensions arise that is beyond dull. I felt nothing."Where the Wild Things Are" seems to go into the mind of a boy with autism. That is how many people interpret Max. If so, they do a horrendous job and made him look like the worst person ever. It is obvious that the monsters are his own imagination, but he clearly runs away from home. Why not make it so that he enters fantasy land inside his own house? It would make Max more likable and the story richer. And if they actually made the monsters better and their land better, then that whole section of the film would have been a somewhat decent watch. But the fact of the matter is, there are no good qualities in this film. The monsters are sorta cool looking, but that's it! Max is one of the worst kids ever and the monster place is beyond dull. Not recommended at all!

Where the Wild Things Are (2009): Dir: Spike Jonze / Cast: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Pepita Emmerichs, Steve Mouzakis: Based on the children's book about emotion. Max is out of control and his lack of friendships allow him to retreat to his imagination. After running away from home he ends up on a remote island where he encounters numerous friendly beasts whom believe him to be their King. Interesting and detailed relationships within these creatures with director Spike Jonze backed with convincing creatures. This is not the inventive achievement that his Being John Malkovich is. Max Records as the boy is the one broad performance. We sense his need for friendship but he also begins to see where responsibility sets in. Why he isn't punished for running away is beyond me. Catherine Keener is too brief as his mother who tries to deal with her son's behavior. We see nothing of her until the conclusion. Mark Ruffalo is a talented actor underused greatly as Keener's boyfriend. He seems to disappear after Records runs away. Pepita Emmerichs should have had more screen time as Records' sister. Steve Mouzakis plays Max's teacher, which is nothing above standard. The special effects are top notch with these creatures and the world they inhabit but the story is nothing to go wild over. Strong message of self control but the film is way too intense for young children. Score: 6 ½ / 10

Max is a rambunctious brat. He's imaginative and often wears a wolf costume. He plays around with his sister Claire's friends but they make him cry. He's angry at Claire and trashes her room. His mother Connie (Catherine Keener) is struggling and is dating Adrian (Mark Ruffalo). Feeling uncared for, he runs away wearing his wolf costume. He boards a small boat which then sails the high seas to an unknown land inhabited by large wild beasts. Max convinces the creatures that he is the king with magical powers who could even keep out the sadness.Director Spike Jonze has filled out a pretty thin story with a good sense of wonder and a lot of childhood angst. The kid fits the role quite well. I think the creatures are terrific especially as they smash things. It is the confused child's struggles that is the heart of the movie. It may not be for little kids but it is a fine movie about something deeper.