"This is all yours. You're the owner of this world."

Film: Where the Wild Things Are

Starring: Max Records and the voice of James Gandolfini

Synopsis: An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

Grade: B+


This movie was incredible. Since it was based on the popular children's book, I heard that many people were expecting a child friendly film. I think this movie was made for the adults that grew up loving the book. It was a mature elaboration on the story. Max didn't live a sugar coated life, so he had a lot of pent up aggression that manifested in his imagination and that was represented in the film. One thing that I thought was really nice about the film was that it really captured the essence of how a child's mind works. In some reviews I read, there was concern with the schizophrenic nature of one of the characters. When I watched the film I thought that is exactly how a child (especially one who is troubled) acts - changing quickly between extremes at the drop of a hat. As children are learning to express themselves, especially in an environment where they are generally ignored like Max experienced, they learn that they get a quicker response by acting out in extreme ways. When Max was where the wild things were, a land he created in his mind, all the creatures were illustrating all the different emotions a little kid feels as they figure out how to live in an adult world. This movie was a view in to the psyche of a child in an unstable home and I felt like it was spot on. This is a film that is more than meets the eye.