Dvd
Where the Wild Things Are
An adaptation of the legendary children's picture book by Maurice Sendak by one of cinema's most exciting talents: Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich).
Jonze employs live action and puppetry to flesh out the story that went something like this: Boy gets put to bed; boy sees jungle growing around his bed; boy meets strange monsters; boy dances around with monsters; boy returns to his bed.
The cast is also great: Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich), Mark Ruffalo (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind), plus the voice talents of James Gandolfini, Michelle Williams, Catherine O'Hara, Forrest Whitaker and Paul Dano. The young Max is played by newcomer Max Records.
Starring Forest Whitaker, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by Spike Jonze ('Adaptation', 'Being John Malkovich', and many of your favourite music videos)
Written by Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers (based on the childrens book by Maurice Sendak)
Featuring music by Karen O
Fantasy, Family, Drama, Comedy, Adventure, Adaptation | 1hr 41mins | Rated (PG) | some scenes may scare very young children | Origin: USA | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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5
A ten-sentence picture book from 1963 has inspired a 100-minute movie about the anxieties and loneliness of childhood. Thankfully, the lack of strong narrative makes way for a beautifully fragile and contemplative tone, under which lies very gentle humour and moments of inspired lunacy (wait until you meet Terry and Bob).
It’s hard to tell what kids will make of this languid fantasy. Instead, hipster–king director Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) seems to have adults in his sights, particularly those that still scribble monsters onto their guitar amps or worship musos Karen O and Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox (both feature on the wistful soundtrack).
Rustic production design and South Australian location photography transport us to the landscape of young Max’s psyche (nothing is spelled out as such but we are led to assume it). It’s a land of rocky canyons, sandy dunes, barren forests and vast oceans, nicely enhancing the theme of alienation.
The wild things themselves are amazingly expressive. Visually they are identical to the ones in the book, although they are given individual personalities. At the forefront is Carol (expertly voiced by James Gandolfini), a volatile but principled critter who takes a shine to Max.
Where the Wild Things Are is complex yet childishly simple, insightful yet puzzling. It’s hard to pick how this will go down with the casual filmgoer but I found it to be a completely unique vision, deeply moving and told from the heart.
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The people's reviews
30 reviews
Press Reviews
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Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The movie felt long to me, and there were some stretches during which I was less than riveted. Is it possible that there wasn't enough Sendak story to justify a feature-length film?
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Dominion Post (Graeme Tuckett)
5
Jonze has brought depth, melancholy and purpose to his film.
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Hollywood Reporter
Where the film falters is Jonze and novelist Dave Eggers' adaptation, which fails to invest this world with strong emotions.
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Los Angeles Times
When faced as a director with the rudderless screenplay he (Jonze) co-wrote with Eggers, he's been powerless to energize it in any involving way. Sometimes you are better off with 10 sentences than tens of millions of dollars, and this is one of those times.
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New York Times
With Where the Wild Things Are Jonze has made a work of art that stands up to its source and, in some instances, surpasses it.
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NZ Herald (Russell Baillie)
3
It's hard not to be entranced throughout by the boy in the wolf suit as he runs wild, but eventually goes home a little wiser.
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Rolling Stone (USA)
Jonze has filmed a fantasy as if it were absolutely real, allowing us to see the world as Max sees it, full of beauty and terror. The brilliant songs, by Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and the Kids, enhance the film's power.
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Times (UK)
3
It’s all very charming and quirky. The hipster flavour that Jonze adds to the film, together with the soundtrack from the downtown NY goddess Karen O, certainly makes this tonally unique among children’s films. But it’s also, ultimately, a little flimsy and unlikely to achieve anything like the iconic status of its source material.
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Variety (USA)
Director Spike Jonze's sharp instincts and vibrant visual style can't quite compensate for the lack of narrative eventfulness that increasingly bogs down this bright-minded picture.
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