Rated PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.
Directed by Spike Jonze (Adaptation and Being John Malkovich)
Starring Catherine Keener, with the voices of James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker and Chris Cooper
Where the Wild Things Are, whether we are talking about the book or the movie… it’s just too weird for me.
Maurice Sendak's classic book comes to the big screen in an adventure tale for a new generation. Where the Wild Things Are follows the adventure of Max (Max Records), a mischievous young boy who runs away after yelling at his mother (Catherine Keener). Max's imagination is free to roam, and it soon transports him to a thriving forest bordering a vast sea. Delighted, he sets sail for the land of the Wild Things, where mischief reigns and Max rules.
As a child I was not a fan of “Where the Wild Things Are.” To this day, every time I say that, my wife looks at me like I just said I’d rather read a Jane Austin novel instead of watching a Bruce Willis movie. So I wasn’t exactly excited about the movie. But a few days ago my whole family sat down on the couch and my wife read us the classic children’s book… once again. It only took a few minutes, but it was one of those cool family moments and they were all psyched to see the movie. Me? Well I was worried about how Spike Jonze would handle the book because he’s… well, he’s weird.
As in the book, Max is a boy who has a temper tantrum and is sent to his room. However, in the film, he runs away – instead of having his room transform – and he ends up on an island with the “Wild Things.” With the help of animatronics and some A-list actors to voice them, the monsters look as if they jumped right off the pages. The cast is great, I mean seriously, if Carol is a metaphor for anger, could they have found a better actor than James Gandolfini?
However, once Max is on the island, things unravel quickly. First, there is no real story. Instead there is a series of incidents that we know will ultimately end with Max returning home. They build a fort and have a “dirt clod” war, but it is not very engaging. Second, Jonze decided to use the hand held camera which causes that dizzy feeling and headaches. They also try too hard to recreate Sendak’s drawings by using a limited color scheme, mostly washed-out greens and browns. There are times when it looks more like a black-and-white movie. Finally, the monsters spend most of the film complaining, making ridiculous threats and swinging back and forth on the emotions pendulum.
In the book, the idea that these monsters are Max’s counterparts is clever. In the movie, they are dull, drab, and un-engaging whiners who on occasion swear. Maybe I am crazy, but I just don’t get it.
And just so I won’t get that look from my wife, I asked my kids what they thought as the credits were rolling. They both shrugged their shoulders and said, “It was OK.” Then my son added, “They certainly didn’t need to swear.”
That being said… it gets an “Only If Free” from me.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
It may be a little scary for younger viewers, but nothing to keep teenagers away.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
