Where The Wild Things Are – movie review

One night, just before dinner, Max throws a tantrum in front of his mother’s boyfriend. His mother tries to restrain him, but Max bites her shoulder and runs out of the house to a nearby shore where he finds an abandoned sailboat.

After several days of sailing he reaches an island, which is home to large talking beasts (the wild things):  Carroll, their unofficial “leader,” Ira and Judith, a pair of lovers, Alexander, who constantly craves attention, Douglas, the second-hand to Carroll, and The Bull, a quiet and intimidating Thing that mostly keeps to himself. Max sees they are in the middle of an argument and approaches them. They consider eating him but he convinces them he’s a great king with magical powers capable of bringing harmony to the group. Upon hearing this they crown Max their king. KW, a wild thing who had temporarily left, returns to the group.

Max first declares a rumpus (a chaotic game of smashing trees and tackling each other). Carroll, one of the Wild Things, takes him around the island, Max’s kingdom, and shows him a model he’s built of what he wishes the island looked like. Inspired by this, Max orders the construction of an enormous fort. However, another argument arises over the inclusion of Bob and Terry, two owls who are KW’s friends, into the group. Max’s solution is to organize a dirt-clod fight to relieve tension but one of the Wild Things, Alexander, is physically hurt during the fight, causing yet more arguments, and KW leaves the group again.

Eventually, the truth about Max comes out: he is neither a king nor does he have magical powers. This upsets Carroll, who accidentally rips Douglas’s arm off. KW talks to Max about how it is already difficult enough for the wild things without Carroll throwing tantrums. Hearing this, Max finally understands his mother’s position and decides that it is time to leave the island. The group prepares Max’s boat for his return journey and they bid him farewell.

Upon returning home Max is embraced by his distraught mother, who hugs him and happily watches and smiles as he hungrily eats dinner.

This most beloved children’s book gets a film treatment, and like many I went to the theatre with fond memories of childhood and reading Where The Wild Things Are. The film by Spike Jonze starts off very stylized as the audience sees the world through Max’s eyes and discovers a lonely boy with a vivid imagination, who is starved for attention. Right from the start of the film it felt flat and distant for me and somewhat unpolished.

Max, upon running away, discovers a sailboat conveniently docked upon a nearby bay, and surprisingly he boards it and knows how to sail it. He sails for what appears to be many days and arrives at a strange island, despite storms and lack of food and water. I may sound like I am nitpicking, but I have my reasons.

First, the best part of the book is that Max’s room transforms and he has an imaginary journey. The film’s realistic journey for me took away the imagination of it all to begin with. Secondly, it was very hard for me to suspend reality with Max being such an expert sailor in the real world. I would have been okay with him traveling and commanding an imaginary boat. Lastly, through this whole event Max needs no nourishment, nor do the monsters on the island. Again, if you are going to go the realistic route, let’s get some reality in there. Keep in mind, several days pass during Max’s stay on the island.

The movie also, at least for me, goes heavily unresolved. Max does not make peace with the monsters, he just up and leaves.  He also makes no peace with his mother at home. He sails back  to his world with expert skill once more and runs home; apparently no time has really passed and all is well when he gets home. Mom gives him a great big silent hug and feeds him a warm meal with a big piece of chocolate cake. They stare lovingly into each other’s eyes, and all is so very well.

The film version of Where The Wild Things Are appears to me almost like a lame child psychology movie from the 1970s, led  by a child actor too old for his role, along with the scarier cousins of the Banana Splits along for the ride. This film unrolls like it is either to illustrate negative child behavior or to provide a topic of discussion for students of psychology. Its weird Freudian melodrama is played out with male and female roles through the monsters, and their search for a leader. There is even a scene where Max comments how he wishes the monster had a mother. I cannot find a shred of redeeming quality in this movie, and I  feel a part of my childhood has been stomped upon by Spike Jonze. The wonderful feeling this book gave me is now replaced by some sick child psychology human puppet movie that is burned upon my memory and will not leave. Many critics and reviewers are raving about Spike Jonze and his interpretation of a what is truly a wonderful book. I do not think they saw the same movie I did. If you have read the book and love it dearly, do not watch this film.  Unless you are a child psychology major; then, go for it.