Where the Wild Things Are Movie Review

http://www.mannythemovieguy.com

When I heard that Warner Bros. was going to produce a film version of the beloved childrens classic Where the Wild Things Are, I was skeptical at best. How could director Spike Jonze adapt a book of only 20 pages and 10 sentences into a full-feature film?

The result is a visually compelling adventure that is respectful of the 1963 childrens picture book. Jonze and company capture author Maurice Sendaks psychoanalytical tone and expound on the theme how kids master various feelings.

As a child, I identified with the main character Max. In the book, he is sent to bed without dinner but then a forest starts to grow in his room and an ocean tumbles by with a private boat to sail to where the wild things are. After taming the wild things and being hailed their ruler, Max sails back home just in time for supper. Who doesnt want to be Max?

In the film version, kids will still identify with Max but they will be more enthralled by the wild things roaring their terrible roars and gnashing their terrible teeth and rolling their terrible eyes and showing their terrible claws. Every boy will want to tame the wild things and be their ruler.

Max Records (The Brothers Bloom) stars as Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home. His single mom (Catherine Keener) is preoccupied with her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo), while his adolescent sister does not have time for him anymore.

One night during dinner, Max and his mom have an argument. But instead of the boy being sent to his room, Max escapes to where the Wild Things are. He lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions.




I like how the Wild Things represent lateral relationships and emotions within Maxs world. Carol (James Gandolfini) is the powerful and sensitive leader of the pack; KW (Lauren Ambrose) loves the group dynamic but also craves time alone; Chris Cooper is the energetic and industrious rooster-feathered Douglas; Catherine OHara is my favorite as the sarcastic and domineering Judith; Forest Whitaker voices Ira, Judiths modest and patient companion; And Paul Dano is the diminutive goat-horned Alexander.




The Wild Things, who have been looking for a leader to guide them, crown Max as their perfect ruler. But soon, Max discovers that ruling a kingdom proves more complex than he originally thought.

Jonze, one of the most original and inventive filmmakers working today, is the ideal director to adapt Sendaks Caldecott Medal winning masterpiece. His quirky yet soulful style matches the books spirit. Although the film may be best remembered as visually stunning, Where the Wild Things Are is a perfect addition to Jonzes oeuvre which includes the excellent Being John Malkovich and the trippy Adaptation.




Co-writing the script with literary writer Dave Eggers, Jonze made a movie about childhood that explored the issues we all experienced growing up. Where the Wild Things Are is an enjoyable, albeit flawed masterpiece that is brave enough to talk about the feral joys of growing up.

The film has excellent production values especially the cinematography by longtime Jonze collaborator, Lance Acord. The movie has a surreal quality that feels naturalistic. It took a year for Warner Bros. to release Where the Wild Things Are because it wasnt kid-friendly enough. What the studio didnt understand is that the story is universal and the film is perfect for all ages. To this day, were still looking for places to go to figure out the world we live in.




Rating: Where the Wild Things Are 3 kisses

Category:

Entertainment

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[GooshieDouchie]

filipino ka ba?

[mdelar]

Opo and proud of it!

[chazystyle]

hey great review! but one question, was the movie sad? i thought it may of been sad by watchin the trailer, and i am interested in seeing it. so try to reply, thanks!

[mdelar]

Thanks! No, the movie wasn't sad for me...it was hopeful :)

[Kunai37]

amzaing review its the best on youtube

:D

I loved this movie :P

[mdelar]

Thank you :) Have a great week ahead!

[bdeyton2]

did somebodys arms gat ripped off???

[HumanGuitarTV1]

@onec07 NO WAY! This movie was epic. (not trying to be a troll, sorry if I offended you)

[7hird3ye]

@chazystyle i thought it was sad but yeh also hopefull great word for it, the movie is my fav movie and it made me feel so nostalgic for the book. Lovede it

[LiquidMitchell]

what I didnt understand was why they had to stop making it and change the way the monsters looked because they were too scary, but it can show them throwing each other and ripping arms off and putting people in their bodys haha!!! i love it but my gf cried like the whole time cause its just so depressing!...i was just like wtf is going on! and it didn't seem long enough! make another one!

[EmergencyPie]

I didn't understand when Carol ripped Douglas's arm off sand came out.

[onec07]

wow you don't watch too many movies do you? this movie was terrible

[ASCowns]

Alot people didn;t understand that each wild thing represented each of his emotions! This was one of the years best movie!

[CaptainStarface]

i liked the movie alot. i liked the review, too. im glad that there are some people out there that understand that the movie was based on a children's book too...some people set their expectations really high, and didn't understand why it was so abstract.

beautiful movie. i saw it four times in the theatre. :)