‘Where The Wild Things Are’ delivers

Many people have felt the same way I have the past couple of years: Hollywood is ruining my childhood. Case in point GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The special effects were more believable than Channing Tatum in that waste of film. Sometimes it seems like every fond memory I have of watching TV as a child is being turned into a bad movie.

So I was horrified when it was announced that ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ was being adapted into a movie. Then I was glad to hear Spike Jonze was involved. Then when the movie’s release date was pushed back I was skeptical. This movie has been pushed back for a long time, it was filmed in 2006. That’s no typo, 3 years ago. However, when I saw the trailer I got excited again.

To be fair to Spike Jonze the studio was scared to release the movie. Spike Jonze is risky (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) and studios want to make money not take risks.  Now adapting a children’s book, essentially a couple of sentences,  into a full length major motion picture is crazy. Then put Spike into that formula and the studio is asking for something that will be bizarre and different. So even though it took three years and countless arguments Where the Wild Things Are is finally released. And I loved it.

Where the Wild Things is a beautiful piece of work that will not be appreciated by the masses. This movie is destined to be a cult classic, a rare treat for the adult looking back on their childhood. I connected with this film from the beginning. Max (Max Records) is just a little boy causing terror and making a trail of mess wherever he goes. He’s basically a boy.

The movie takes off and goes to strange and unusual places, figuratively and literally. But what I most appreciate is that it is told with the imaginative innocence of a young child. Max has his feelings hurt and doesn’t know how to deal with it, he acts out and misbehaves, he runs away from home. Recklessly acting out of emotion like a child who hasn’t yet been trained how to properly deal with stress. The movie moves with Max caring not for justification, moving out of quick and carnal decisions not worrying about consequences. I thought it to be an accurate portrayal of how children can act out. Then I realized I was in a theatre filled with children and parents who were maybe not appreciating this on the same level I was.

The bad thing about Spike Jonze making an adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is that Spike Jonze is very cerebral. Artsy and smart is not usually what parents and children look for in movies. While I did hear children giggle and gasp I felt like me and my girlfriend were the only ones laughing and having a blast. Children’s movies are not usually like this and are more marketable. Even Wall-E and Up, which had their moments of film snobbery, made sure to make a likable movie for kids. This movie is about kids, not necessarily for them. Yet at the same time there’s huge puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and not many themes that will appeal to adults. I’m not all too sure if this movie will find a wide audience. It will be too slow and strange for most people and possibly even a disappointment for families.

While this review could end there I would like to mention what I’m sure some people are concerned about, the actual ‘Wild Things’ or monsters. These creatures have so much life in them and mirror the concerns and attitudes of children it is amazing. As someone who works with kids I can see the similarities loud and clear. You hardly ever notice that these things are puppets, you completely buy into their world. It’s the world of children each wild thing is trying to vie for attention and be liked. The innocence and insecurities of children are showcased in each monster. Reminding us that every now and then we can all be a little monster having problems that faced us in childhood. Like how to appropriately show anger, trying to make friends, not wanting to play with others and feeling like no one ever listens to you. The cast of creatures all do an amazing job. James Gandolfini is incredible as Carol, the main creature, who is meant to be a mirror to Max’s own beastly behavior. Chris Cooper, Catherine O’Hara, Forrest Whitiker, and Paul Dano all give brilliant vocal performances with words that broke my heart and made me laugh in memory of my own childhood.

For people like me, who have fond memories of this book as a child and enjoy indie films and Spike Jonze body of work this is a must see. However, I think most parents of young children might want to look elsewhere for their theatre experience.