There's one in all of us
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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The beloved children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” came to the big screen last Friday, and it was wildly awesome.
The story follows a boy named Max (Max Records) who has troubles at school, problems with his sister, and general issues that seem so large to children. After one particularly horrendous fight with his mother, he runs away from home. Max ends up on an island populated with wild creatures and manages to convince them that he is a powerful king, and that they should not eat him.
I could not help but fear this movie would somehow be butchered, but it was actually really good. Somehow writers Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers managed to expand on a story we all loved as children and make it a full-length feature film without changing the true feeling of the book.
One of the things this movie did really well was to portray the feelings of a child. The movie did an amazing job of bringing up your memories of childhood, and most people will identify with the feelings Max is experiencing.
The major theme through the movie is abandonment; this is repeated through Max and his sister and also with the wild things and their struggles. At points this movie almost seemed a little too sad or intense, but usually it would quickly rectify that with some witty banter between Max and the wild things.
The wild things looked so realistic and fascinating. Their facial expressions and interactions with Max were amazing. They could not have been presented in a better fashion.
On that same note, Max Records is the perfect child for this role, not only because of his name. He is a kid, so I guess it should be no surprise he plays one so well. During the intense scenes with the wild things you can see true reactions on his face; he sells the idea that Max is truly there experiencing this wild adventure.
Not only are the wild things amazing looking, but the landscapes and building design are also stellar. From the lush forest to the sandy dunes of the desert, it all was breathtaking. Considering the buildings were mainly just twigs and branches, they managed to make them quite fascinating.
Probably the most annoying aspect of this movie was the shaky camera. I honestly don’t know who thought of the shaky camera idea, but I hate them. Really this does not ruin the movie, not in the least, but it’s something that was noticeable.
If you enjoyed the book as a child you should go give this movie a chance. Not only will it bring up fond memories of the book, but also of your childhood.
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