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Before going into this movie I really didn’t know what to expect; as a child I was never exposed to the book, and never had any casual run-ins with it as I got older. So when I found out they were making a movie of it, I didn’t really pay much attention to it.
However, that all changed when the release date for the movie grew close, and it started to garner a lot of good press. Needless to say, I went into this movie with a certain sense of intrigue – and rightfully so; this movie had me completely captivated from the very beginning. Director Spike Jonze has done a great job of adapting what is essentially a fairly simple coming-of-age children’s book into a full-length movie, and Where The Wild Things Are is clearly far more than just a kids movie.

Throughout the course of the movies 90-or-so minutes, the intensity peaks and troughs in order to evoke a wide range of emotions; sometimes it’ll leave you grinning madly with pure joy, and sometimes it’ll leave you feeling sad, or even uncomfortable. Regardless of the emotion it produces, the movie always does so with a wide-eyed, child-like sense of amazement, and as such, is always entertaining.

The film itself is well shot, and the locations used are not only gorgeous and well realised (in an extremely stark kind of way), but also help convey the ethereal, not-quite-real feeling portrayed by the events unfolding in front of you. This feeling is also developed greatly by the films use of music, which is provided, in the main, by Karen O and the Kids.
The music here was obviously tailored to the movie, as while the soundtrack ranges from playful and light-hearted, to dour and depressing, it is always relevant to the tone of the movie, and always manages to perfectly convey the feel of the movie through music.

Regrettably, much of the real life acting is a little forgettable, though this is not because it’s bad, but mainly because most of the actors get very little real screen time – with the notable exception of Max Records, who plays the part of main character Max. Records is near-perfect in the role of Max, and for someone so young, displays a great deal of genuine acting talent.
Where the acting really shines though, is in the voice acting for the wild things, in particular, James Gandolfini as snuffling, snorting, raging wild thing Carol, and Catherine O’Hara, who plays the petulant Judith. It is because of this, that you not only get a chance to bond with the wild things, who are (at times) extremely likeable, but also get a glimpse at some of the deeper issues at work here.

As previously mentioned, Where The Wild Things Are, is more than just a kids movie, and there’s plenty here for adults to take in; whether it’s a chance to remember how much fun (and hard work!) it was to be a child, or to see just how differently children’s minds work when compared to adults.
There’s also plenty here if you like to dig a little deeper, and in the short space of time Max spends with his family at the start of the movie, the film does a good job of depicting his relationship with them, and goes a long way to explaining why he behaves the way he does.
This in turn gives us a good explanation as to why the wild things are the way they are, and offers an insight into their relationship to Max, as the movie implies that they can be viewed in a couple of ways; either that the wild things represents the various members of Max’s family – their interactions with one another, and with Max, providing an exaggerated view of their real life relationships with each other – or that each one is a physical representation of a different side of Max’s personality. Whichever way you choose to view it, the role of the wild things in the movie is a complex matter, and one that will leave you thinking about it long after the movie has finished.

It is because of this that the movie is so fascinating; it lures you in with its bright colours and (seemingly) simple depiction of cuddly monsters, secret forts, and childish games, but then uses these to make you think about the more serious side of things like family life, the fleeting nature of friendship, and about growing up.

If you have kids, you already have an excuse to go and watch this movie. If you don’t have kids then go and watch it anyway. If nothing else, think of it as a way of treating your inner child. All adults were, at one time or another, forced to grow up and abandon the things they loved as children. Think of this movie, then, not as a way of mourning the loss of your childhood, but as a way of celebrating it.

Oh, and one final note: if you do go and see this movie, don’t forget to bring your double re-cracker!