Probably not since “The Dark Knight” has a movie had such an intense air of anticipation. I think most adults have been wondering exactly how anyone could transfer a highly loved Kid’s book such as “Where the Wild Things Are” on to the big screen. So for the past six months I have been eagerly waiting for the release of this film.
So as the movie unfolded and this children’s story came to life on the big screen I found myself captivated. Just in case you need a reminder, the basic story of “Where the Wild Things Are” is as follows. Misunderstood at home and at school, mischievous Max escapes to a land populated by majestic, and sometimes fierce, creatures known as the Wild Things. The Wild Things allow Max to become their leader, and he promises to create a kingdom where everyone will be happy. However, Max soon finds that being the king is not easy, and that his relationships with the Wild Things are much more complicated than he originally thought.
That being said as we first come into contact with the Wild Things, we see the brooding character of Carol voiced by James Gandolfini. A wild creature who is disillusioned by the seemingly meaninglessness of life. Angry at KW, the love of his life, for leaving the group and making new friends, Carol is in the mood to break things. Of course Max is also in the mood for destruction as he too is disillusioned at family life and the fluid nature of the makeup of his family and having to share his mother with her new boyfriend. Of course as is often the case, as Max begins to see his anger and frustration mirrored out in front of his eyes by someone else, he begins to see that he has been overreacting and treating those whom he loves badly.
The characters within Wild Things are a well thought out visual and emotional expression of something that has long been a staple in kid’s bedrooms for decades. I don’t really want to go into too much detail about this movie, as I think that it is an experience that will mean different things to different people. It is visually stunning and dramatically deep on an emotional level, with a soundtrack to inspire the soul.
The last thing I will say is that despite this being generally a kid’s film based on a kids story it has been adapted with a flow that is more adult in feel, so smaller children find it slow and in turn drive you completely balmy with a little boredom. Which in turn could be very frustrating as you may very well want be able to lose yourself completely in to this visually stunning tale.
Reviewed By: Jon E Clist
Releases: 3rd December 2009
Rating: PG Some Scenes May Scare Very Young Children
Running time: 101 minutes
Genre: Children’s
Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker & Chris Cooper.
Director: Spike Jonze
