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Between all the gorgeous early viral marketing for this movie and the day I actually went to see it, I had gone from over the top psyched about it to actually pretty worried, based on how mixed the reviews have been. But after seeing it, I'm a little baffled by that. It's got a bleeding heart and, OK, maybe not the most sophisticated plot in the world, but it's pretty hard not to like this film as a whole. And it's not like I just go around liking everything, to say the least.
The liberties Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers took from the very short children's book are many, of course, and if you're one of those people who hates Dave Eggers' style, I'll just warn you before you go in: his voice is all over this thing. Personally, I love his approach to expressing heartache and loneliness, which is what this movie is entirely about, so I found the script wholly effective. You may not, but I still say it's hard to argue that the screenplay isn't successful at least on some level.
The movie is about a boy named Max whose family has seemingly just gone through a divorce. His mother is overworked and stressed about money, and his older sister is a teenager who, in typical teenage fashion, ignores Max in favor of boys and her friends. Feeling neglected and alone (he apparently has no friends either, possibly because the divorce spawned a move), Max frequently acts out in frustration and for attention, terrorizing the family dog, destroying his sister's room when she doesn't defend him, making a scene when his mother invites her new boyfriend over for dinner -- but the script successfully presents Max as a very sensitive, sweet boy at heart who's just going through a tough time and doesn't know how to properly deal with it. And that's what's wonderful about it -- there are no villains in this family. I mean, the kid bites his mother, who's honestly just doing the best she can, and runs away from home, and you still just want to hug both of them. There's a complexity at work in the writing there.
So, in another deviation from the book, Max runs away in the middle of the night and ends up at a creek not far from his home, where his imagination takes off and a boat arrives to take him to Where the Wild Things Are. And though it's light on real plot, everything that happens in fantasy land is absolutely gorgeous. Spike Jonze knows how to make a visually engrossing cinematic experience, and he's definitely done that here. Plus, the CGI on the Wild Things themselves is ridiculously convincing, which, after a summer of Wolverine's Roger Rabbit claws and Terminator: Salvation's cartoon Arnold head, was especially appreciated.
Once there, he meets the Wild Things, all of whom are quickly recognizable as manifestations of parts of Max's own psyche, or of his anxieties about his family members. Right away he befriends Carol (voiced perfectly by James Gandolfini), the mostly jolly, bull in a china shop Wild Thing, who just wants to keep everybody happy and together. He is the truest representation of Max, and though he ends up crowning the little boy king, it is very telling when Carol later comes to the conclusion that Max is not worthy of the title and strips him of it. There's KW (velvetly voiced by Lauren Ambrose), the distant and unattainable one who is equal parts Max's sister and mother, who protects and sees the good in him, even if she is at times distracted by her other, non-Wild Thing outsider friends. There's a very literal scene where she hides him in her belly and protects him from harm that beats you over the head a little, but I'll forgive it that, because their relationship just broke my heart overall. And everyone else is just a little bit of the rest of Max's persona. Paul Dano's Alexander is the part of Max that feels nobody ever listens to him; Chris Cooper's Douglas is simultaneously the best friend Max wishes he had and a symbol of the supreme value he puts on loyalty; Catherine O'Hara's Judith is just everything that's wrong with the entire world, but her husband Ira's (Forest Whitaker) unconditional love for her is Max's comfort that everybody, even bad little boys who bite their mothers, deserves to be loved.
The movie also has a lot of great one-liners, and I laughed a lot, as can be expected from a Spike Jonze work, but it is definitely melancholy on the whole. It's a story about a sad little boy who's desperate for his family's love (and the final scene where his mother gives him his cake and soup, just like in the book, will make your heart cry), so, you know, it's not exactly Shrek the Halls happy fun times throughout. And if you're taking kids, there are a couple scenes that could be considered scary, but hey, we watched Return to Oz and Labyrinth when we were kids, and we turned out OK. Take 'em anyway, because I have a feeling Where the Wild Things Are is a new family classic.
The movie is about a boy named Max whose family has seemingly just gone through a divorce. His mother is overworked and stressed about money, and his older sister is a teenager who, in typical teenage fashion, ignores Max in favor of boys and her friends. Feeling neglected and alone (he apparently has no friends either, possibly because the divorce spawned a move), Max frequently acts out in frustration and for attention, terrorizing the family dog, destroying his sister's room when she doesn't defend him, making a scene when his mother invites her new boyfriend over for dinner -- but the script successfully presents Max as a very sensitive, sweet boy at heart who's just going through a tough time and doesn't know how to properly deal with it. And that's what's wonderful about it -- there are no villains in this family. I mean, the kid bites his mother, who's honestly just doing the best she can, and runs away from home, and you still just want to hug both of them. There's a complexity at work in the writing there.
So, in another deviation from the book, Max runs away in the middle of the night and ends up at a creek not far from his home, where his imagination takes off and a boat arrives to take him to Where the Wild Things Are. And though it's light on real plot, everything that happens in fantasy land is absolutely gorgeous. Spike Jonze knows how to make a visually engrossing cinematic experience, and he's definitely done that here. Plus, the CGI on the Wild Things themselves is ridiculously convincing, which, after a summer of Wolverine's Roger Rabbit claws and Terminator: Salvation's cartoon Arnold head, was especially appreciated.
Once there, he meets the Wild Things, all of whom are quickly recognizable as manifestations of parts of Max's own psyche, or of his anxieties about his family members. Right away he befriends Carol (voiced perfectly by James Gandolfini), the mostly jolly, bull in a china shop Wild Thing, who just wants to keep everybody happy and together. He is the truest representation of Max, and though he ends up crowning the little boy king, it is very telling when Carol later comes to the conclusion that Max is not worthy of the title and strips him of it. There's KW (velvetly voiced by Lauren Ambrose), the distant and unattainable one who is equal parts Max's sister and mother, who protects and sees the good in him, even if she is at times distracted by her other, non-Wild Thing outsider friends. There's a very literal scene where she hides him in her belly and protects him from harm that beats you over the head a little, but I'll forgive it that, because their relationship just broke my heart overall. And everyone else is just a little bit of the rest of Max's persona. Paul Dano's Alexander is the part of Max that feels nobody ever listens to him; Chris Cooper's Douglas is simultaneously the best friend Max wishes he had and a symbol of the supreme value he puts on loyalty; Catherine O'Hara's Judith is just everything that's wrong with the entire world, but her husband Ira's (Forest Whitaker) unconditional love for her is Max's comfort that everybody, even bad little boys who bite their mothers, deserves to be loved.
The movie also has a lot of great one-liners, and I laughed a lot, as can be expected from a Spike Jonze work, but it is definitely melancholy on the whole. It's a story about a sad little boy who's desperate for his family's love (and the final scene where his mother gives him his cake and soup, just like in the book, will make your heart cry), so, you know, it's not exactly Shrek the Halls happy fun times throughout. And if you're taking kids, there are a couple scenes that could be considered scary, but hey, we watched Return to Oz and Labyrinth when we were kids, and we turned out OK. Take 'em anyway, because I have a feeling Where the Wild Things Are is a new family classic.
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Shoot, now I'm torn; I heard the movie critic on NPR eviscerate this movie but you like it.....
I still think I'll wait to hear what my 17 year old thinks of it and then make up my mind whether to go see it.
I didn't like it. The joy, wonder & FUN of the book didn't translate for me. Max's sweetness as overshadowed by his bad behavior (whatever the reason for it). I fell asleep during the middle!
People will be divided entirely on this movie: you'll either find it a brilliant work of art or a dull, meandering slog. Regardless where you fall, kids will be bored out of their wits.
I think Jonze is aiming for those adults who grew up on the book, thank kids. But then again, don't underestimate kids intelligence. Some might be bored, some might love it. As this reviewer says, we all grew up with movies like Labyrinth and Willow (which to me was incredibly boring and hated it). I saw the movie version of "The Little Prince" which is what you would consider "serious" or "boring" but I loved it, and I was 7.
I guess it depends on your expectations.
I agree that this is more for people who grew up with the book than for kids. I don't know when the book came out. Hell, I don't even remember reading it as a child and I didn't know it was such a big deal until talks about the movie version started and people got really excited. But everyone around my age (18-25) was talking about it incessantly and are all probably seeing it right now.
I don't agree that kids will not like the movie. I took my three nephews, and while the youngest, who is five, grew bored toward the end, the older two, seven and nine, really liked it, to the point where, two hours later, I overheard them having a conversation/argument about who, out of the two of them, was Max, and who was Carol. I completely understood why my younger nephew became bored, because the plot, at that point, had slowed down considerably, and he's five, he needs things to happen, but I think older kids will still be able to appreciate the movie. That said, I really loved it, but I'm an amateur photographer, so that had more to do with the way the movie looked than what happened in it. I'm twenty-seven, and I've never read the book, so I didn't have any expectations other than what I had seen from the trailers and from movie stills and posters, and I wasn't disappointed.
"Plus, the CGI on the Wild Things themselves is ridiculously convincing" - that's probably because they're not CGI. They had actors inside them and their faces were controlled by remote.
Nope the faces were redone in CGI cause the mechanics were to heavy for the actors in the suits. --according to a review I read.
My seven year old had a mixed reaction. The scene where Max first meets the wild things, and they threaten to eat him, was bordering on too scary.
The penultimate scene where Max leaves the island was the first time he cried in response to a book or movie.
While I think the movie was beautifully done, I still prefer the book (as does my son). However, I am impressed that it moved my son to tears even though I had to spend the next several hours drying them.
I went in to this movie excited to say the least. I have loved the book since the mid 60s and I like Spike Jonze style. I was sorely disappointed. What a butchery of a masterpiece. I need to go reread the book now to cleanse my psyche of the residue of this terrible flick.
I hated it. I hate the whole idea of creating a movie out of a children's book, thus making a new generation of kids who say, "That's not how it happened in the movie." It's almost blasphemous to this preschool teacher. So, yes, I went into it not expecting a whole lot.
And while it was beautifully made, and I loved the CGI, I thought it took a sweet children's book, and turned it into something that is definitely not for young kids.
And, while I love me some James Gandolfini, was I the only one who thought Max was going to get whacked when Carol started getting upset? I thought for sure the quiet Wild Thing was going to be voiced by Steve Van Sandt, and he was going to take out Max on Tony's, I mean Carol's orders. No? Just me?
Ok, so I really didn't like it all that much....
I think it's a simple little masterpiece of a film. The casting (including the voices) was excellent, the music and visuals were wonderful, and the ending was absolutely perfect. I can't predict how kids will feel about it, but I loved every moment of it.
Marin, it's not just you, if I hadn't known that he gets back home, I thought there was a good chance that Max could get "whacked" by Carol. That whole scene just screams nightmare fuel for a little kid: Big scary monster who has just snapped, running after a kid, whose predecessors as king have been eaten. Then add to that the part where the kid is convinced to hide in another monster's mouth. Maybe I'm just too much of a skeptic, but I was somewhat doubtful of K.W.'s motives when she said that. I think I'm taking my chances on foot versus taking my chances literally in the belly of the beast.
I also didn't like the movie. I felt Max's bad behavior too strongly overshadowed the troubles that he was supposed to be going through, the troubles that we were supposed to understand.
And at the end when Max is eating cake my girlfriend and I had the same thought. While we would both be worried and greatful that the child came back safe, and that children shouldn't go to bed hungry, the kid doesn't get cake. We both saw this as rewarding his bad behavior of yelling and screaming, biting his mom, and then running away. I can't remember if he got cake in the book, but I'm pretty sure he still got food. Either way because of how he behaved in the movie, I had a hard time sympathising with him.
I thought the film was beautiful, but I don't know if I've ever seen a lonelier, more melancholy film. Everyone around my age (college) was super excited for it, but most people came out upset--not because the movie was bad but because it was sad. I was actually crying by the scene with the snowball fight and--I know everyone says this, but I mean it--I don't cry at movies. Nothing gets fixed by the end of the movie. The sadness is eternal, and it's a depressing statement on life. I don't believe that he doesn't have any friends because they moved. I think he was just a lonely kid. There are lots of those in this world, and it's very hurtful to have someone who should protect you ignore you.
I don't think Max's behavior was that awful either. He was going through some tough times, and he's clearly left alone most of the time. I don't blame the mother at all, either. People who think Max's behavior is that out of line have obviously not been children for a long time. The movie is something you have to watch as though you were a child. You have to accept the boasting and the magic and the trust. I don't know how someone watching this could have believed that Max wasn't going to make it back home--did they read the book?
I wouldn't bring kids to this. I don't even think this is meant for grown-ups, real ones, who have families of their own, who live on their own. I think this is meant for kids in the 17-24 age range, the kids who are right in between adult and child, who can relate to Max's confusion and loneliness without being bored or judgmental. This was one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, but I wouldn't watch it again unless I really needed a good cry, and unless I was within hugging distance of my mother and brother.
Went to see it with my 6 year old and we both loved it. I thought the NPR reviewer had missed the mark. It didn't celebrate bad behavior. Max at the end learned the behavior was hurting his family and "learned his lesson". Also, by being king, he learned that no one can solve all the problems and "keep the lonliness out", thus understanding his mother a lot more and his sister's need to be friends with other people, but also value him. I thought the movie was excellent. Especially seeing the teacher talking about all the bad things that could happen (sun going out, etc) and seeing how that could freak kids out. I agree the movie was aimed more at parents to show how messed up childhood can be and you need to see that from the kid's point of view. Douglas' wing scene, maybe too much, but it did cause my son and I to discuss all the things that happened on the island and how they tied into Max's life at home (the wing was on the same side as Max had bitten his mom).
I left the theater 4 hours ago - the movie captured the essence of the book. Back in the 1960s, my parents first read to me "Where the Wild Things Are". My earliest memories of the book are a combination of fear and excitement as Max's room becomes a forest all around. Spike Jonze captured the spirit of the Sendak's book.
My 7 year old son (Max sans wolf suit) thought it was magical. He has shared the joy of the book since three - he could "roar their terrible roars and gnash their terrible teeth" with the best of them.
My son had many questions about the movie, particularly how Max was treated by his family and how his family treated him. It was a little disturbing, but not overly scary. There were lessons that could be taught from the movie.
The movie was beautiful and an unbelievably amazing adaption of the book. I think the people who were really able to enjoy this movie were those who understood that the movie was made from a nine-year old's perspective, and looked at the movie through that perspective. I also saw parallels between Max's experience at home and on the island.
I think he learns to appreciate more the complexity of his emotions and his family through his experience with the Wild Things. I think the Wild Things were representative of the raw emotions he experiences. And yes, it did look like several times during his stay on the Island that Max could have been hurt by the Wild Things ... I think that was intentional to show that these Wild Things could be dangerous, and like raw emotions, can be wild. It can be melancholy, but it's also a very sweet and thoughtful film.
All of this can easily be missed, especially if you take it for face value and cannot remember what it's like to be Max's age.
This movie is ageless. It will retain its power and poignancy for generations.
I disagree with those comments saying this film was made for a certain age group. You do not need to be a certain age to "get" this film. I am 39 and had no difficulty identifying at once with Max. I'm sure there are those in any age group who feel the same.
The question becomes whether or not you can remember your childhood without the haze of sentiment. There truly are moments that are joyous and exuberant but can turn frightening quickly and there is nothing you can do because you are young and alone and don't know how to handle it. This movie absolutely gets this right.
I felt the ending was perfect. I didn't feel Max was being rewarded for bad behavior with cake. The sheer relief of having her son back and safe forgives a lot of heartache. Three huge cheers for Catherine Keener and her expression as she watches Max eat. Parents everywhere know that look for they have worn it themselves at some point.
Don't let the melacholy early on overshadow the joy and hope offered at the end.
Thank you Spike, Max, et al for such a beautiful film.
I agree with Rick and Mindy. It is a beautiful film for everyone who ever was a lonely, angry child. It's also a magical film and an emotional film, there was no dry eye in the cinema when he left the island and all that is part of life and childhood too; feeling scared, lonely, angry, sad, powerless, overwhelmed. That's how it is, as much as feeling happy, silly, magical, inventive and in endless awe over Carol's unbelievable miniature city.
Max shows "bad behaviour" (Mrs. Don Draper couldn't have said it better herself) because he's going through a rough patch and he doesn't know how else to deal with it. Were he an adult he might drink himself stupid. People and yes, children too, sometimes do stupid things because they don't know what else to do. Kudos to the amazing little Max actor.
So some people will like the film and some won't and apparently the same applies for children - big deal. It's a Spike Jonze/ Dave Eggers film for godsake, what did you expect, Where The Wild Muppets Are?
do nat see it !!!! it was a bad replica of the book. complete garbage.
Quiero expresar mi afecto por su amabilidad dando apoyo a los visitantes que deben tener orientación sobre esta pregunta. Su dedicación real a la solución que pasa arriba y abajo se había vuelto extremadamente funcional y ha animado a la gente común realmente como yo para llegar a sus esfuerzos. Esta ayuda inestimable denota esta mucho para mí y aún más a mis companeros. Muchas gracias, de cada uno de nosotros.