My review of Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is now available at Moving Pictures.
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| Spike Jonze’s live-action big-screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book, "Where the Wild Things Are," plays as a memory of my childhood. Much like the story’s young protagonist Max, I weathered the pains of an absentee father with my mother and sister. Similar to Max, I sported an unruly, often uncontrollable temper, had few friends and frequented worlds of my own creation. Director Jonze and co-screenwriter Dave Eggers capture that all-too-common existence masterfully while expertly expanding Sendak’s unique tale and visuals. |
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| Max establishes a special bond with Carol, a lonely, unstable monster expertly and sensitively played by James Gandolfini. The pair tour the magical land with illogical, beautiful landscapes (forests that quickly become deserts that suddenly become coastline), several extraordinary creatures (including a random, giant, wandering dog), and incredible, physics-defying architectural creations. The scenes between Max and Carol provide some of the sweetest, most revelatory moments of the film as well as some of the scariest. They instigate lots of mayhem, howling and laughter while Max attempts to lead this unruly band of misfits. Max’s own words perfectly sum up many of these scenes: "Let the wild rumpus start!" |
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| Jonze relates "Where the Wild Things Are" completely from Max’s point of view. To an adult, this perspective may make it seem that several story elements are oddly placed. But the shifting physical and emotional landscapes create an unusual structure that authentically portrays kid-logic. |