Category | Arts & Living

Movie review: ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

Published on October 20, 2009 by TJ Harnett

“Where the Wild Things Are” is a complex film, to say the least.  There are elements of humor, tenderness and love, but also of intensity, rage and violence that feel jarring to the rest of the movie.  If you want a fun-filled adventure flick for the whole family, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

The film, based on Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s picture book, is not really a movie for kids.  The source is itself a dark tale about a young boy who runs away to an imaginary world after his mother sends him to bed without his dinner, or as dark as a 10-sentence picture book can be.

As a story about anger and the way a young boy deals with it, the film holds true to the book’s themes, but this is also where the film runs into its greatest pratfalls.

Stretching a beloved tale from such brevity to a full-length movie would be a daunting task, but the story hits all the points from the book while adding details and plot development that enhance the themes and tone, giving the characters reasons for their actions.

The main character, Max, lives with his single mother and a sister who is not around and he craves the attention of both.  When he doesn’t get it, he runs off into his imagination, to “Where the Wild Things Are.”

The movie really shines once Max leaves our world and enters that of the titular beasts.  He proclaims himself their king and they being work on a giant fort where they will all live and be together.

The amazing thing about the wild things is that they are all well-drawn characters, each with a moment to shine throughout the film.

However, the main relationship in the movie is between Max and Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini), who parallels the young boy’s thin line between child-like playfulness and surging anger.  The friendship between the two is beautifully written and the scenes featuring them are the most charming and well-rendered parts of the film.

However, when the tone of the movie shifts from charming to dramatic - i.e. when Max gets angry at his family or when Carol thinks his family is breaking apart - the difference is so drastic, at times it feels like a different movie altogether.  These scenes are so intense that they are almost too upsetting to fit in with the rest of the film.

Max and Carol in particular are characters that one minute you feel sympathy for and the next you hope you never cross them.  As emotional children their mood swings are understandable and real, but there is just something about the feel of these scenes that does not sit right.

Overall, the film is an interesting exploration of a child’s imagination.  The animation of the monsters is possibly the most well done blend of CGI and live action any movie has achieved to this point.

The story is wonderful and charming, if at times a little disconcerting.  The film is worth watching because it seems like it will be the kind of movie that means something different to each viewer.

Those seeking a movie in the vein of kid-adventures like “The Never Ending Story” might find themselves in a little over their heads with such a deep and complex film, but “Where the Wild Things Are” is a well-made film about children and how they cope with living in a world so much larger than themselves.

If you’re a fan of the book, then you should see the movie; you might be able to relate.  After all, there is a Wild Thing in all of us.