WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009)

Add Review To List
Add Film To List
Write Your Own Review

"Happiness isn't always the best way to be happy."

Do you remember what it was like to be a child? Curious, at times unsure of things, troubled by and misunderstanding the scary world? Where the Wild Things Are is an adequate picture of that world as seen through the mind of a child, albeit the overall picture is a bit out of focus.

Max is a kid with little to no friends, a sister who would rather do other things, and a single mother who is struggling to provide both her needs as well as her children. Conveniently storing a wolf suit in his room, Max slips it on whenever he goes into "animal/angry" mode, causing an uncontrollable ruckus. One night, his antics get the better of him, forcing him to run away and sail off as far as he can. What he finds is a land where no rules are present, where giant monsters live, who are just as confused about the world as Max is. This is the land where the Wild Things are. In an effort to prevent himself from being eaten, Max convinces the monsters that he is a King. Given a crown, will Max lead this group of misfits to happiness or will he make things worse?

While this film is visually gripping, riddled with deep metaphorical messages, and profound moments that may cause some to rethink their life, it is a film that is ultimately compromised by ineffectual dialogue and an erratic storyline that neither climaxes nor resolves. The story, in and of itself, is a jumbled mess that will leave adults wondering and children befuddled. Too profoundly complex for children and overtly aimless for adults, Where the Wild Things Are presents little ground to stand on for either audience. There is no resolution to make any kind of lasting impression. In the end, you don't care about the monsters and Max does not appear to have learned anything, something that Director Spike Jones missed from the classic book.

Where the Wild Things Are was okay. It had its moments. It could have been better.

What should be noted is Max Records, the child star who is sure to fill the childhood shoes of Haley Joel Osment and Freddie Highmore. As solid as a young actor can get, he was enough to carry this film with some dignity with his acute childhood antics. The visuals were fun to watch, a blend of live-action suits and CGI faces. Glad to see that studios are realizing that using limited CG can make something as unrealistic as a monster be taken more seriously.

The story had its flaws. I'll simply leave it at that.

Each of the monsters represented a different aspect of a child's mind; fear, shyness, optimism, etc, which is meant to convey Max's troubled and confused mind. As the teacher explained that the "sun would die", we are shone that kids look up to adults and take them seriously, whereas adults really don't know any better than children do. If anyone caught that message, understand that the world is what the adults make it. The world is scary enough without our bottled emotions tarnishing the innocence of a child. Many shaky-camera moments doesn't help much either.

One monster had his stuff together when he said, "There is no such thing as a King". A profound statement, as "king" means guidance, and the folly that poor guidance bestows.

While Where the Wild Things Are falls flat on several occasions, with as many holes in the plot as the trees have, this is one film where you will have to take and use your brain if you are to find any enjoyment or meaning out of it. This is not a film for young children, even though it was aimed at them and the book was meant for them.