As a child, I was enamored with the children's book Where the Wild Things Are, as were most people in my generation. After getting in trouble for being too wild, Max escapes his punishment, running away to an imaginary land where he can be as wild as he likes and he is made king. Max is easy to identify with as most children spend many hours contemplating similar adventures. After his tantrum with the wild things, Max is lonely and returns home to find that everything is alright, and his dinner still warm for him. This comforting end is perfect for a children's book. The pleasing idea that our wild ways will pass and home is always waiting for us. The movie expands upon this idea and brings to it a maturity and emotional growth that some viewers may have trouble adapting to. There is a wild thing in all of us. The movie might not be as comforting as the book, however, that message is a great deal more poignant. The childish emotions of selfishness, self delusion, spite, and self pity are unhealthy and unsustainable. These habits must be let go of to grow up and only love and understanding can bring peace and clarity. It's cognitive dissonance (look it up), played out in a child's fantasy world. The story is a remarkably keen portrayal of how a child learns to sympathize and accept their smallness in this world. That might be a bit heavy for children but is an absolutely powerful message.Some viewers were misled by the trailer, hearing Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" and mistaking it for a upbeat cheery song, believed this would be a perfect movie to show their eight-year-old. Perhaps if they understood the lyrics they would catch what seems to be the main theme of Where the Wild Things Are, "If children don't grow up, our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causing rain storms, turning every good thing to rust. I guess we'll just have to adjust. " SPOILERS AHEAD The movie does a great job of representing childhood and showing us childish emotions. The destructive Max is made real. His problems made real. And when Max escapes to his imaginary land, he is met by monsters who are very obviously reflections of Max and his family disfunction. Their demands and wants are his own. Max makes himself king by deluding these combative personalities. He comforts them and himself, resolving doubt with wild rumpus and literally wrestles with his emotions to bring them together. He connects with them, tries to understand their choices, and make peace with them. His monsters have the voices of adults but the emotions of children, symbolizing their inability to grow. Their loneliness, doubt, jealousy, confusion, self-pity, fleeting anger and wrath are Max's. The discord, abuse, and selfishness in the group play out like Max's family in reality. He is unable to resolve those problems and make his monsters understand what he himself cannot. Everything dies one day. There is no magical way of making everything alright. There is no such thing as a king. He is only Max. Max's emotional monsters do not eat him alive. He loves them and despite fear and sadness, he moves on. He leaves them and although hurt, his monsters see him off together. Max returns home happily, empowered with empathy, to a loving home.A deeply introspective and sometimes dark movie, the fantastic visual effects and gorgeous cinematography also make this film gloriously entertaining to watch.

I have to say that I found this, a critics darling, a poorly done version of a great book. There was no fun to this, just a lot of bitterness. These wild things seemed more like escapees from a mental ward than wild creatures.

Where the wild things are is directed by acclaimed film maker Spike Jonze, based on the novel by the same name. One must really admire the director's take on the novel, because it is truly beautiful, emotional and an intellectual study on the potent mindset of a child's psychology. What does that mean? Well, first let's look at what we got. We know that the kid, Max, is a hyperactive child with deep imagination. He always wants to play, but his mother and family have no time for him. And due to this, he creates an imaginary world where he interacts with imaginary beasts and desires to stay there forever. This is where people get heavily divisive: they complain for the lack of story. And in some respects, they are correct. The film in the beginning starts off traditionally as any movie, with introducing the characters, constructing the story and all that good stuff. It's when the child starts to go to the imaginary island that things get tricky. It's true that there is no story as in normal movies do, but then again, it doesn't need a story to tell. Think back when you were a lonely child, when you had no one but your own imagination. You probably created a world with your favorite characters to interact with. Now think of this: did your world had any plot story, or any sort of logic? Of course not. And this is exactly what the movie is, it is the boy interacting with his own world, telling his own story in his own unique way. He doesn't want to give you a plot, but for you to understand his emotions and what he is going through. It's his way of dealing with loneliness and understand things. In short, his world is run purely on emotion, and not logic. The child actor in this film is phenomenal. He gives an emotionally potent performance and you understand what he feels. This is also supported by beautiful direction from Spike Jonze, who clearly knew what he was supposed to do. The film is also beautifully as captivating as the writing, giving a very gritty and dark, but majestic world.The cinematography is also unbelievably well shot and focused. As for the music, both the musical numbers as well as the composed songs are very emotional and play their purpose when needed. It's a bold and risky movie that might not be for everyone, especially for young kids. If you want a typical movie with a flowing narrative then this is not for you. However, if you want a movie that dives deep into its characters in hope of understanding yourself, then this is the right film for you. a 10/10 masterpiece

How unfortunate that Maurice Sendak's Caldecott winning sorry book was twisted and perverted to something unrecognizable. This film is not for young children. Frankly, my 11 year old child had a difficult time with the way the storyline drifted from the book. As an adult, admittedly in my 40's, I would never have suggested this film for a fun "movie night" adventure, knowing Jonze's adaptation was so twisted. The child actor who plays Max does so well. He seems to convey many emotions with just a look. The problem is the storyline. Sendak created a Max that was mischievous, not one in need of in depth family counseling. The trouble with making something so pure and child like, up to date, new or fresh, is the unfailing willingness to project onto the characters situations that were not intended. The familial dynamic, for example, Max is a neglected little boy full of misdirected energy and fueled by an active imagination. Not one hint of the depressed, destructive, physically abusive behavior that is shown on the "big screen." Catherine Keener and Mark Ruffalo could have, just as easily been husband and wife, not boyfriend/girlfriend. Honestly, it left too many unanswered questions. Where was Max's father? Was he divorced from his mother? Dead? There's no clear storyline to explain why Max had begun to behave so violently. But we all sense it had something to do with the missing father. Max physically abuses his mother, after verbally abusing her. This is attributed to the presence of the mother's boyfriend in the home. Again, confusing, underdeveloped storyline. We are lead to believe that no one in this troubled boy's life recognizes or cares about him. He is a sensitive boy, absorbing his science teacher's musings about the sun dying and the human race falling victim to any number of calamities. Realistically, this would never have happened in the public school system. There would be a huge backlash and the teacher reprimanded. But, this just seems like a platform for Jonze's social awareness and activism. Adults recognize it. Children are confused by the laundry list of failures awaiting humanity. Finally, Max gets whisked away to the Land of The Wild Things. Finally Max has a say, he is in control. Although a very touching relationship begins to develop among Max and The Wild Things, the viewer isn't really as engaged as they should be, having been struck dumb by the opening portion of the film. The Wild Things are quirky and visually similar to Sendak's book version. James Gandolfini is heartwarming and, as an adult, I was heartbroken all over again. Soon, it becomes clear that things are going to be more difficult for Max, the King. Judith, in particular, adds a lot of dissension and frailty to the rest of the film. One of the other Wild Things says that she is "a downer" and it's laughed off. But, not true for the viewer. We wholeheartedly believe Judith will bully Max and eventually eat him, wild suit and all. The scene with the owls is particularly telling. "How do I make everyone OK? " The answer is not going to be clear. Ever. The underlying message is unclear and confusing for younger viewers. For tweens and adolescents, the message is muddy. Life is full of pitfalls. Make sure your decisions are sound. Either way, all in our party preferred the originality and pureness of the literary version. The "updated" Max 2.0 is not something the world needs. Truly, preview and be ready to have discussions before viewing with young children.