As college students soon to venture out into the terrifying world of nine-to-five jobs and adult responsibilities, there is a surprising amount we can learn from the classic story about an imaginative little boy dressed in a wolf suit.
In director Spike Jonze’s spirited and emotional adaptation of the classic children’s tale, “Where the Wild Things Are,” Max shows us even though life will throw us curveballs, our relationships with our family and friends will see us through in the end. Wild Things or not, we all just want to be loved — and that’s perfectly OK.
Based on the 1963 children’s book by Maurice Sendak, “Where the Wild Things Are” is the story of Max, a mischievious little boy who is sent to bed without his supper as a punishment. Instead of staying there, however, Max travels to a faraway land where he meets the Wild Things and becomes their king. According to HarperCollins, 19 million copies of the children’s classic have been sold worldwide.
The film’s plot deviates from and builds upon the classic story, which isn’t surprising since the children’s book is only 10 sentences long. With some additional drama and aggression, the story of Max and the Wild Things grows up along with the adults who loved it as kids.
“Where the Wild Things Are” stars Max Records as Max, an energetic, devious and angry little boy with a wild imagination. In the film’s opening scene, we see Max tearing around his house in a mangey wolf suit. He just wants attention, particularly from his divorcee mom, played by Catherine Keener (“The Soloist”). The two get into an argument after Max complains that they are having frozen corn for dinner, which he hates. “I’ll eat you up!” he bellows at his mother. Max runs out of the house, down the street and into the woods, where his finds a tiny boat waiting for him. Unafraid, he hops in and sails away to a faraway land where he meets the Wild Things.
Max arrives to see the fiery-tempered Wild Things cultishly romping around a bonfire, arguing with each other. He barges onto the scene and immediately befriends Carol (James Gandolfini, “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3”), who is destroying the others’ homes in a rage. It seems that Max has met his match — someone who is just as aggressive and angry as he.
But the rest of the Wild Things have other plans. In a spooky scene that might be too disturbing for younger children, the Wild Things menacingly inform Max that they are going to eat him.
Thinking quickly, Max convinces the Wild Things that he is a king with special powers. And so, Max becomes king of all the Wild Things, and the “wild rumpus” begins.
As it becomes apparent that Max is just a regular boy, however, Carol begins to turn on him and Max seeks solace in KW (Lauren Ambrose, “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits”), a gentle Wild Thing who has become disenchanted with the others.
Despite some of the heavy themes in the movie, Max’s character will make audiences chuckle. The crazy ideas just pour out of his mouth: “And we can have a machine that cuts our legs off so we can float!” he cries with enthusiasm at one point.
“Where the Wild Things Are” is filmed shakily and with sharp angles, emanating childlike energy and enthusiasm. The twists and turns of the camera engulf viewers, forcing them to participate in Max’s adventure. We feel what Max feels.
The film’s soundtrack also reflects Max’s quick changes in mood, switching from screeching guitars to an ominous bass note in an instant. Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O is responsible for almost every song in the film, which seems appropriate since she is a bit of a wild thing herself.
“Where the Wild Things Are” is also a surprisingly beautiful film. The imagery is sparse yet striking, and stark contrasts between land and sky remind us of Sendak’s original illustrations.
Overall, “Where the Wild Things Are” is refreshingly original. The film’s creators managed to channel Max’s aggression creatively, and result is charming and heartfelt. “Where the Wild Things Are” will touch the child in all of us, but its artistry and insightful plot give it a grown-up appeal. The film will probably appeal mostly to those adults who loved the book as children — it’s not exactly a kid’s movie. But for the most part, viewers will be happy to go “Where the Wild Things Are.”
4 stars out of 5.
