WideStance:

I think it's a compliment to say I walked out of Where The Wild Things Are confused. Extremely impressed, but confused. Spike Jonze and the high priest of hipster lit, Dave Eggers, have turned Maurice Sendak's beloved 338-word, 18-picture Caldecott winner into an innovative, uncompromising, and deeply personal vision of their own. A vision, probably more suited for adults than kids and one that so directly communicated with my inner nine year old, I left the theatre feeling a little rattled. Shot from a child's point of view, the movie is almost always a bit disorienting and we never quite cozy up to the monsters in that saccharine kiddie movie way. Instead, Jonze has made an original, free flowing meditation on childhood that comes off as a beautiful, baffling remembrance of how it felt to be figuring out the world for the first time.

beeswax:

Under normal circumstances I might have reviewed this dvd, but when NetfIix implemented the new movie detail page design they removed friends' ratings, top 10 lists and the ability to send movie notes. That made it harder for me and others to find movies we'd like to see. If you are reading this, please call NetfIix at 1-866-716-0414 and ask them to give us the community features back. Thank you, and I apologize for this non-review.

ColumboFan:

Unless your tweeners really enjoy Ibsen they'll hate this picture, but I won't dwell on that. It's not kid friendly, that's clear. Maybe it's grown-up nostalgia. "Where the Wild Things Are" starts off well and I liked the first twenty minutes. The jump cuts do reflect a boys irrational mind and Catherine Keener was sympathetic as the mother. After impressively passing that hurdle, I thought the next challenge would be expanding the material to feature length but it really didn't matter. Once the boy heads off to "Where the Wild Things Are" it jumps so far off track tonally it can't recover. It's relentlessly sad and it doesn't reflect any sensible reading of the book. Maybe I was a poor young reader, that's what my teachers said, but I thought the monsters were cool, and I thought it would be a kick to go where the wild things are. I didn't realise it was a magical land of clinical depressives. I thought a wild rumpus was fun too, but I was wrong. The music for it here is "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire. Rumpus-ing, you see, is done to hipster sad music. (YouTube that song and tell me how rumpus-y YOU think it is.) Tony Soprano mouthing one of the creatures was a little weird, and I didn't think the creatures CGI faces were very expressive but I probably could have accepted those if I didn't feel like slitting my wrists through the rest. Spike Jonze and Dave Eggars are talented guys, I like them both, but in striving for something deep and sublime they sucked the fun out of the story. It was like they made the "Wizard of Oz" in all black and white, removed the munchkins and those frivolous songs and decided that it was really about flying monkeys with esteem issues and Dorothy pining for Kansas. I sure hope they don't try to film that one about the five identical Chinese brothers. I still have some happy memories which I don't want ruined, thank-you.

Celluloid Sally:

The best part of this movie was the trailer! Now you can forget renting it and go on your merry way and watch something much better deserving of your time! I've never read the book so was in the dark about what to expect. What I got was 30 minutes of a 10 year old (?) throwing temper tantrums with no real adult in sight. Boring, strange and questionable descriptions of what goes on in the heads of children or this out-of- control child. Definitely not for anyone under the age of 12 because they would not understand it and besides it probably would give them nightmares! Real Stinker!

JN 291771:

If you are a film critic or consider yourself artistic or artsy, you may enjoy this movie. For everyone else, you will probably be bored. I wrapped a present, checked email, and surfed the web and was still bored by the movie. I understood the angst and pent up rage that adolescent was deadling with and how his imagine helped work through it. But man, really? There are some wild animals with more disciple than that boy. Either way, it just doesn't make for an interesting movie. And I would highly recommend children not watching this movie. Mine will not. Lots of action not worth exposing my children to.

TH 352342:

Horribly disappointing! Spike Jonze (who I like a lot) ruined a great children's book. The book is about a young boy's imagination. The movie wasn't about that at all. You get no sense of time which makes the ending without meaning, unlike the book. The boy is annoying and arrogant. The creature's costumes were the only bright part of the whole movie. Using James Gandolfini's voice for the main beast was ridiculous. I kept thinking to myself as I watched the film, "why is Tony Soprano dressed up as a beast?" Tim Burton should have done this film. Would have been 10x better.

hackajar:

** Blu-Ray Review ** I was excited to get the Blu-Ray movie in last Friday only to find that it was a "Rental" edition. What does that translates to? Previews at beginning which you cannot skip (they disabled all the buttons). Also, I'm not sure if this is a "Rental" issue or not, but the disc only had "Play" and "Languages" available from root menu. No extra's, deleted scenes or director commentary. All which are typical of any movie made after DVD format was released years ago.

CR 1902033:

Emotional dark and violent. I would not recommend this as it was promoted for children around 10. It should have been rated pg-13 for it's emotional heaviness. While it was filmed 'nicely', I really can't recommend this, especially in light of how they took a good children's story into a dark exercise and expression. Far from enjoyable and the original intent.

KL 1851093:

This scared my 3 year old daughter. It has some pretty intense moments with a lot of yelling. It kind of stressed me out. I would not recommend it for little kids under 12.

Lupatrian:

Slow-moving; weird additions to the very-basic book outline (there would have been better ways to make it movie-length). I will say that the characters themselves were so remarkably like the illustrations that it blew my mind. Take :5 and read the book, then re imagine the movie without all the weirdness and d-u-l-l passages.

MuthrGoose:

The amazing visuals are to blame for making this complete disaster appear to be anywhere near as enjoyable as the book. The most egregious offense is changing the small boy into a preteen that is no longer escaping to his imagination but running away from his own terrible behavior. Be warned: There is NO story. Imagine being locked in room for an hour and a half with a very annoying, over-privileged brat with a megaphone. Torture.

AtTheBeach:

"Where the Wild Things Are" is a movie that sounds intriguing. There are good special effects with various creatures inhabiting an island that a young boy finds after running away from home. The creatures themselves reflect the emotions of a child. They appear dangerous and threatening but also capable of love and understanding. The photography is also interesting. Some of the shots with the desert background are fascinating. As entertainment, the movie leaves a lot to be desired. I was debating falling asleep or walking out. It is a movie that is probably scary to young children--perhaps too scary for them to sleep at night because the creatures can be frightening. For an adult, the storyline is weak or even close to nonexistent. In short, it is boring. It is like watching and hearing about the fantasies of a young child. That can be interesting but it gets old quickly. Some reviewers have commented that it put them in touch with their inner child. That is great for them--most adults will not want to waste their time though.

lrr 1532544:

This movie is boring!!!! I hate it, I wasted 1:30 of my life..., I was waiting for it gets better, and then The End...

Frank W:

Where the Wild Things Are constantly strives to reveal an earnest soul through heartfelt dialogue, raw emotion, and viewer sentimentality. And as a film about that, it succeeds. We recall these storybook characters from our childhood, so it's fun seeing them come to life with real voices, emotions and unpredictable predispositions. And knowing that Sendak had input in giving feeling to character, it always seems genuine and meant-to-be. But what's sorely missing from the movie is a formative clay to mold the characters into something larger than their parts. We "get" that what transpires between Max and his imaginary friends is a righteous allegory that should draw upon the childhood of not only Max, but from every one involved... filmmaker to viewer. But behind the emotion, nostalgia, and symbolism is a frail structure made of cardboard and chewing gum that falters more and more with each passing scene. Once the amazement of seeing the creatures with beautifully rendered CGI faces wears off, we're left wanting something to happen... anything. There's no one to root for... nothing to scare us, and nothing to touch our soul. As the credits roll, it becomes readily evident that we just witnessed one of the most beautiful and profound depictions of dull and boring.

Derik:

One positive thing I can say is that the production value of the movie is excellent. It's based on a classic book, so the plot isn't bad. That said, this movie bored me to tears at times. It felt dragged out despite being a curt 94 minutes. The action picks up in some places only to slow again. I wanted to love this movie but I came away with the feeling that the execution was just lacking.

xbq 1473369:

The blu-ray version of this movie WILL not allow you to skip previews, and has no added features, rent the DVD. This is due to WB and N*tflix making people wait a month before renting a new release. 30 days is fine, but WHY wreck the release? Do NOT rent this.

Supercords:

My expectations were very high considering the collaborators on this project. Turns out the Wild Things costumes were the best thing about the film. It¿s pretty amazing what Spike was able to do with them. The story, however, left me bored and disinterested. The characters interaction was childlike¿which didn¿t appeal to me as an adult. Ironically, this movie would bore actual children to tears; when it wasn't scaring the crap out of them. Essentially, that means the movie has no audience. Rating: D+

tntbaker1:

I vaguely remember reading this book as a kid. Movie is basically depicts a bratty kid running away from home and living with some creatures for awhile. The effects of the creatures are incredible. The movie looks beautiful. I watched it on Blu-ray and it really looked good. The problem with the movie is that after the movie is done you wonder a bit about what you just watched. The story comes across as not fully complete and just ends. Due to this, I cannot fully recommend this movie.

ChaosCloud:

A beautiful film about a mentally disabled child who runs off into the wild after running away from home because he wanted real corn instead of frozen corn. He goes on to have fun and interesting adventures with furry creatures who wanted to eat him at first, but the boy manages to convince the creatures that he's not their meal, but their king. Actually there's nothing going on here, i suggest you skip over this. Well maybe your kids would love it, but if you're over the age of 12-13 you'd be out like a light 30 minutes in.

Andsav:

Basing a full length feature film on an approximately 20 page children's book is a very risky venture. In the case of this movie it manages to both fail and succeed in differing aspects. As far as being innovative, Jonze really outdoes himself. The incorporation of the monsters into live action sequences was done seamlessly. The writing bring out the human strengths and frailties from each of the monsters, serving as a sort of prism for all our strengths and insecurities. Now for the cons, it should not even remotely be marketed as a children's film. It is too emotionally heavy for a young child to appreciate. There are so many hidden layers that are subtly hinted at, that this movie merits a closer analysis. While I by no means think this a movie, I think that the trailers were misleading and consequently I wasn't in the right mindset to fully appreciate it. It is a slow moving film that doesn't really have a happy ending. There are no good guys or bad guys. In reality there is just Max, and the allegorical tale of his emotional maturity,

yog 1379093:

Decent movie but hard to follow and make connections. I think it is trying to give a meaningful message about family that gets lost in the transition from Max's real life and his imagination. Decent special effects and a bit whimsical at times. Overall left me with a depressed outlook on life...life's tough, families can be hard but you suck it up and eat it.

Cancersticks1:

I was looking forward to this movie for about a year and I walked out after 30-40 minutes. Absolute garbage. I never leave the theater before a movie is over, not to use the bathroom, not to refill a drink, and certainly not to leave entirely. The only other time I walked out on a film was American Pie, and I lasted longer through that even. Hugely disappointing as all the elements were there, they just didn't work, and what was left wasn't even impressive to look at. Basically this is The Garbage Pail Kids Movie without the kitch value, bloated with contrived weight and self-importance and lacking any form of entertainment value whatsoever.

ce9165b8bd:

The movie is horrible. To ad insult to injury, it doesn't let you skip the previews and useless introductions before getting to the title menu. If it wasn't for that, would have gave this two stars instead of one.

1d56bcdd85:

I was really curious about this movie. I appreciate Spike Jonze's "unusual" films, Adaptation and Being John Malkovich, so naturally I wondered what he would do with a Maurice Sendak book. Don't get me wrong the visual and special effects are great, but I am unsure whether this is a children movie or not. There are aspects of it that children may appreciate, but it comes across depressing and somber. There are deeper, more philosophical thread running through the story, but would my 7-year-old get it?? He actually walked out the room feeling bored.

rmgebhardt:

This definitely isn't a film for children, but more so for adults reflecting on their childhood (or on their children). The film looks great and the story is an interesting exploration of the varying moods, emotions, and confusions of youth. I'm not sure I gleamed an overall theme from the film, but it did bring a number of nostalgic moments to mind throughout which in turn had me thinking more about my youth.

DFWFOREIGN:

Where the Wild Things Are (2009) Adapted from Sendak's beloved children's book, the story follows Max (Records), a young boy experiencing both the joys and loneliness of childhood. After a fight with his mother (Keener), Max runs away; a wild rumpus ensues. (SEE MY Lists: I have 5 lists of foreign films submitted for Foreign Oscar nominates ( by year). Including new list for 2010 Oscar) Profoundly beautiful and affecting, Where the Wild Things Are is a breath-taking act of artistic vision. From Maurice Sendak's beloved picture book about a little boy named Max and the kingdom of untamed creatures who adopt him as their like-minded king, filmmaker Spike Jonze has made a movie that is true to Sendak's unique sensibilities and simultaneously true to Jonze's own colorful instincts for chaos This is, to quote the 1963 children's classic, ''the most wild thing of all.'' It's also personal movie-making, with corporate backing, at its best. Whatever the struggles it took to create this gem, the result is worth every monster howl. The film is as visually stunning as anything released this or any other year. The images are paired beautifully with the tone of the story, a goal many filmmakers strive for but seldom accomplish. Striking images only carry a film so far, and it's Max that gives the film its heart. Records deliver an exceptional performance in a truly complex role; he masterfully exposes Max's inner pensiveness, expressing a range of emotions most adult actors strive to demonstrate their whole careers. Where the Wild Things Are is simply a wonderful film. While I found the segments taking place in the real world a tad slow-moving, once we reach the island of the Wild Things, it shifts into high gear telling a beautiful tale laced with genuine heart. A kids movie kind of adult in scope but I enjoyed it

teemswithGod:

This movie is different. The book it is based on is an extremely simple children's book that leaves plenty for the imagination. They did a decent job here with filling in the gaps and adding details. The movie has a melancholy tone to it throughout. It is about being lonely and eventually making friends and spending meaningful time together. They did a great job with making the creatures seem real. This is very likely a movie I will only watch once. It wasn't bad. Check it out if you can't find anything else. Just be prepared for a slow-paced, melancholy movie about a lonely boy who makes friends in an imaginary world.

Tom&Marta:

Under normal circumstances I might have reviewed this movie, but when NF implemented the new DVD page detail design they removed friends' ratings, top 10 lists and the ability to send movie notes. That made it harder for me and others to find movies we'll like. If you are reading this, please call NF and ask them to give us the community features back. I apologize for this non-review."

BlueVoid:

It's rare to find a movie that so totally encapsulates childhood. Spike Jonze had huge expectations to fulfill with "Where the Wild Things Are", with nearly everyone having fond memories of the book from their childhood. I went back to the bookstore and reread the book for the first time since I was a child and more than anything its the wonderful mood and imagination that pulls you and makes the book so magical. Jonze manages to capture that essence perfectly and turn a short book into a major motion picture. This is no small feat. The movie is gorgeous to look at. I was ecstatic to see the muppet style look he gave to the creatures. By making them into essentially big stuffed animals it not only brings a fresh look at these very strange creatures but also reminds us that this story is rooted in the imagination of a little boy. That is the charm to the film. The thoughts, touches and details are so reminiscent of how children think that it is easily relatable. The story does drag a little bit in the third act, but it does not diminish the joy that I had in seeing my childhood imagination so artfully and emotively expressed in this movie.

Yinali:

A misunderstood child whose family pays mild attention to. Always looking for attention, Max runs away from home because he just can't stand his home anymore. After he runs away, he embarks on an imaginary adventure where he sees himself in a world where he thinks he can keep out all the sadness and loneliness. It's the first movie I've seen that portrays a child's imagination in such a perfect way as this. With everything in between; humor, suspense, drama and friendship. You can't help but engage and travel with Max on his quest to find friendship and acceptance. Very well done, the effects looked great, the scenery and the characters make the movie what it is.

gojeffrey:

Great camera work. Great music. It reminded me of the original story, but also seemed new. I loved it.