Review of Where the Wild Things Are (2009) by Andres A — 02 Mar 2012

Never have I seen such a artistic and downright brilliant movie in my entire life. Where The Wild Things Are is truly an amazing experience.

I first saw this movie with a very skeptical point of view. I was confused at how Jonze could turn a 10 sentence book into a 2 hour movie. When I went to see it, I came out of the theater literally in tears. The movie was so perfectly crafted I was amazed.

Where can I start? The movie centers around a troubled boy named Max who, after running away from home one fateful night, finds a sailboat and arrives on the island of the fearsome Wild Things. With an amazing amount of courage, he befriends them and even becomes their "king".

The story is simply amazing. Perhaps this is because I could relate to Max. As a child, I remember being neglected constantly and always imagining myself in wonderful places where I could be happy forever. Max is just so real and adorable, you actually feel that he is not an actor. As for the Wild Things themselves, they are all given unique personalities and they never get annoying. I actually started to feel sorry for them and even shed tears near the end.

I have to say, this movie is not for kids in the slightest. It isn't cheery and full of several gags like most children's films are, but instead, it is depressing and very dark. It is one of those movies that makes you think about life, your childhood, and make you wish you could be a kid again. You really have to understand the movie in order to fully enjoy what it has to offer. The problems between the Wild Things and how their lives are very hard is beautifully executed. They don't live peaceful and happy-go-lucky lives it is the direct opposite and I am glad Jonze made it this way.

The way Max learns from his mistakes and sees Carol (a Wild Thing) as a reflection of himself, is just brilliant. The movie is both simplistically written and marvelously directed. Carol and the rest of the Wild Things are all perfectly animated which helps make their expressions that much more realistic.

Jonze directed a masterpiece in film and managed to make a super short book into a full-blown 2 hour movie of beauty and intelligence. I loved this movie, the music, characters, and the dialogue are all wonderfully crafted. The ending is sure to make a tear or two come out, but that is perfectly OK, because it is supposed to do that. It is dark, gritty, and obviously NOT for younger audiences.

Overall, it is a true work of art and is, in my opinion, the greatest adaptation of a book into a movie I've ever seen. I plead you to watch this film and embrace the sheer beauty of it. Go out, have a Wild Rumpus, and rent it or do whatever you can, but I tell you one thing, movies like this only come around once a generation. 10/10.