I remember having Where the Wild Things Are read to me as a child. I remember a picture of “Wild Things” on an island. And when I saw the new motion picture Where the Wild Things Are, the imagery took on a whole new meaning, a much darker one.
The film starts with the main character, an eight-year-old boy, Max chasing and tackling his pet dog. He seems like a maniac howling and shrieking as he rages through his house with all the energy of the firecrackers I use to play with as a child. And from that moment, I was not a watcher but a participant in the film.
This inclusive feeling takes sail later in film when Max bites his mother, while she is on a date with a new companion. The mother shrieks, and questions her menace son’s behavior, who, then decides to run out of the house and into the woods. The viewer then sets sail with Max to a boisterous island.
There, Max encounters a monster, Carol, similar to himself. He is aggressive and destructive and all in the name of family. No matter what age you are, it is difficult to encounter change. And while this film represented the difficulties a young boy may face, these were issues anyone can relate to: Life and relationships, with family or otherwise, are dynamic, even when we don’t want it to be.
But before I get too sentimental, I will instead revert to a more direct review of the film. It was flawless:
1. It was dynamic in that it had all the adventure a child would desire, while containing all the depth an older audience would value.
2. It was an action packed film, minus all the anxiety and violence of a Terminator film.
3. There were large hairy monsters.
4. The angle use, film quality, colors, costumes and music were all perfect.
Conclusion: A must see. For any age.