Movie Review: Where the Wild Things Are

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Visuals and acting

Cons: Slow story that ultimately leads no where

The Bottom Line:

Serious flaws that

That outweigh the pros and yet

I just can not care

I Was Not Wild About the Movie Version Either

So, a few weeks back, I took a second look at the picture book version of Where the Wild Things Are.  I knew the movie was coming out soon, and I wanted to refresh my memory of the original.  I was underwhelmed.  Frankly, as the credits rolled after the movie, I felt the exact same way.  The visuals were great, but the movie itself left me feeling empty.

Max (Max Records) is dealing with the aftermath of a divorce.  While his sister hangs out with friends and his mom starts dating again, he often gets abandoned.  His attempts to get attention backfire and just get him into future trouble.  Completely frustrated, he runs away.

On the edge of town, he finds a boat that takes him to a wonderful world where the Wild Things live.  He finds them in a moment of crisis as Carol (James Gandolfini) is destroying their homes.  Max quickly spins a story that makes him their king.  But can the little politician live up to his promises?  What will happen if he can't make all of these creatures happy?

I absolutely have to give credit to the filmmakers.  This movie is visually stunning.  If you go to a movie looking for a visual feast for the eyes, you've come to the right place.  The creatures Max encounters on his journey are all made up of giant puppets.  Jim Henson Studioes created these creatures, and it shows.  I could easily imagine them appearing on the old Muppet Show.  The film is filled with special effects, and I bought every one of them.

Equally effective were the performances.  Max Records was amazing as Max.  I identified with him from the first moment I saw him on screen.  And considering how often he was acting opposite special effects, that is saying something.  The other human cast members really have little more than cameos, but they are certainly fine.  Equally good were the actors who gave the Wild Things their voices.

But, yes, the movie has problems.

Let's start with the pacing.  The movie is slow from start to finish.  Of course, we're talking about an hour and a half movie developed from a picture book with maybe a couple dozen sentences.  Given the lack of story, they did a good job with things.  But it just felt very slow.

And I am going to harp on something I picked on with the book - theme.  While the movie does better than the book, it was underdeveloped.  I can tell what they were trying to do with various plot points, but it just doesn't quite work.  It will fly over most kids' heads.  Now I don't need a movie to be heavy handed, but this movie was too soft handed.  It had the elements in place, but it couldn't close the deal.  This was especially brought home in the climax.  It was just under developed and left me wanting something, anything, more.

Of course, there's also the idea that Max's bad behavior is barely recognized as such.

Now some will argue the next point, and I can see their point of view on this.  I spent all weekend having a great time hanging out with friends.  I saw this movie with four friends.  Yet from the moment the movie started, I was hit by a wall of separation and loneliness.  Frankly, I found it downright depressing.  I would have been okay with it if the feelings had been relieved by the events of the movie, or even the climax.  Instead, it was a couple hours before I could shake off the melancholy.  Even the funny bits didn't do much to make me feel better.  The other side of the argument, of course, is that the movie was successful in creating and maintaining a mood.  And I would agree.  I just happened to not enjoy the mood.

In case you think I am being overly harsh on the film, I'm actually being kind.  Of the group I went to see it with, I was the only one who was ambivalent about the film.  The rest didn't care for it at all.

For parents, there are a couple of scenes that would potentially frighten young kids.  They aren't as intense as they could have been, but you might want to consider your child before taking them to see the movie.

I never could shake off my ambivalence to Where the Wild Things Are.  The movie looks amazing, and the acting is great.  But ultimately, the movie just doesn't say anything, and feels like a waste of time.