WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Review

Maurice Sendak’s book may not be a long read but director Spike Jonze has made an adaptation that not only stays true to the original material but elevates it into a deeply affecting, extraordinary drama that is about us. Make no mistake, this is… one perfect movie and that is one high compliment I don’t give very often. Don’t put limits on your imagination when you watch WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE because it truly is an adventure in which only the things you want to happen, would happen.

Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in “Where the Wild Things Are,” a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in. The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.

Some may find the most fascinating aspect about WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is the the environment and how the Wild Things look, all the technical process that goes into making them so vivid and convincing. While the rest of us are in awe of the themes that screenwriters Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze successfully expand from Sendak’s book. Even if you enter the theater with a certain expectation, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE will offer something more genuine than what you had in mind. That said, I’m glad Jonze does not shy away from the danger that comes from interacting with the Wild Things. It is scary just as much as it is festive and playful, it doesn’t dumb you down or insult your intelligence, no matter how old you are. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE in a sense is a family movie, a story that kids can enjoy and relate to, although those young viewers would probably have more giggle watching the wild rumpus and the big pile and the war game but at the same time, it’s also a closer look at our insecurity and the few ways we can respond to that feeling.

Great casting, just absolutely wonderful group of voice cast from James Gandolfini who voices the hot head Carol, to Lauren Ambrose who voices K.W. the mature and independent one, Ambrose delivers a certain trust, kindness and assurance.
My friend Jeremy made a good point when he said that each of the Wild Things is more or less a reflection of Max’s personalities, that goes especially loud for the characters Carol and Alexander but I think even more than that, each of them represents childhood or I should say, the kid in all of us. There are kids who become destructive when he’s angry, he easily destroys the things around him to have some kind of control because it’s his way of dealing with uncertainties, there are kids who’s do just about anything to get attention, there are kids who after being ignored for so long, they just accept the fact that nobody will listen to what they have to say. There are kids who get jealous and try to stir things up, paranoid thinking somebody in higher rank is playing favorite. And there are kids whose imagination is still intact and willing to participate because life is less hurtful when you’re pretending.

I can’t say enough about Karen O’s music. If there ever a more harmonious marriage between movie and music. To describe Karen’s music as an achievement that captures the spirit of the story would be an understatement. Sometimes the tune sounds mellow and soothing, while other times it can sound intense, fierce and reclusive.
Max Records’ performance is both vigorous and delicate. Even when he’s explosive, he can be vulnerable. The relationship between the mom, masterfully played by one of the best supporting actresses of our time, Catherine Keener and Max is also one that needs careful observation. Max’s sister doesn’t want to play with him and her friends destroy his igloo, Max’s mom says she would’ve done something about it. And yet, Mom acts just like Max’s sister when she chooses her boyfriend over playing with Max. When parents yell at their kids ‘what’s wrong with you?!’ or ‘Wild Thing!’ that often drives them further away and in this case Max runs away and travels the sea.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is an emotional ride. Spike Jonze has made a memorable movie that explores our desperate need to love and be loved without closing its doors on innocence and how far our imagination can take us. There are times when watching Max’s attempts to build a society and make everyone happy, that you just want to think of what you would do if you were Max, so much so that you might get frustrated but then you realize that Max is a kid, you gotta be able to think like a kid to understand his approach. A kid doesn’t know how to run a group of people like a king, a kid only knows how to have fun, anything that goes beyond that would have to bring him home to the one who can take care of him.

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