Where the Wild Things Are

When I first saw the teaser trailer for Where the Wild Things Are, I couldn’t help but be excited. I don’t have a strong attachment to the source material, but I did enjoy it as a kid and I do love Spike Jonze’s work. I mean, he did Sabotage, as a geek I am forever grateful.
As the movie was released, however, word of mouth seemed to be very harsh. Looking back, it has a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes which is not indicative of a bad film by any means. It just seemed like everyone that had seen it was extremely lukewarm to it. People complained about the tone, the handheld camera techniques, the lack of resolution. I decided to wait and Netflix it.
I just finished watching the Blu-Ray and I must say… I loved it.
Max is a child with a lack of friends and a temper beyond his control. He becomes furious with his mother and acts out, then runs away after an ugly confrontation. He ends up finding his way onto a small boat and sets sail, ending up in a land far away inhabited by the titular creatures.
And my, how wild they are.
These enormous monsters are conned by Max into making him king and it becomes apparent as he gets to know them that they are not as powerful as they seem. In fact, many of Max’s own troubles are reflected in each of the wild things. Carol has some serious anger issues and his relationship with KW is trying for both of them. Judith is afraid that Max does not like her. Ira has resigned that he is unlikable and wallows in self-loathing.
This sounds heavy for a kids movie. Maybe it is. I would suggest that it isn’t though. Kids experience all of these emotions and have no idea what to do with them. Everyone wants to be loved, everyone gets frustrated. Relationships are hard and they’re messy. We have fears and doubts that we don’t know what to do with and don’t know how to process. We had them as kids, when we get older we just don’t know what to do with them. Perhaps being a kid wasn’t so simple after all. As we grow older, the problems become even more complicated.
I guess that’s part of the magic of this film. As an adult, it takes you back to your childhood in such a raw manner that you don’t normally see. It’s easy to be taken back to your childhood through the lens of nostalgia and feel as though it was a perfect time and nothing was wrong. To make you feel like you would give anything to be back there and escape your woes today. Rather, Where the Wild Things Are reminds us that there were woes then, as well. It tears into who we are and reminds us that we all have the same fears, the same questions, the same problems.
It doesn’t make us feel like a kid again, when we approached the world with wonder, it reminds us that we still are and there is wonder still to be seen.
Technically, the movie is beautiful. They made the wise decision to go practical for the monsters, as opposed to computer generated creatures. The result is believable characters that never feel out of place. The cinematography is breathtaking; all of the different environments in the world look fantastic. It is just so beautifully shot.
The music is provided largely by Karen O. and the Kids, which is actually a group of kids provided most of the vocal parts. It is equally as inspiring as the visuals and lends to creating a fantastic mood. It functions in the same way as the Juno soundtrack, only to a much greater degree. I’m listening to the soundtrack now. It’s fantastic.
I loved this movie. I think people that did not like it simply didn’t get it or chose not to buy what it is selling. There is so much to be had here. Make sure you see this film.
Parents, watch this with your children. Talk with them about it afterwards. You’ll both come away richer from both experiences.
The trailer made great use of the song “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire. These are the first two stanzas and they sum this all up better than I could through my prose.
Somethin’ filled up
my heart with nothin’,
someone told me not to cry.But now that I’m older,
my heart’s colder,
and I can see that it’s a lie.
Do not miss out on the experience of Where the Wild Things Are.















