Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Entertainment

Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze's third feature-length motion picture, provides a visual imagination one has come to expect from the director of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. This movie is nothing if not an epithet of Jonze's flair and style. Most importantly, this film has all the qualities that make up a family film. Expect children to react positively and negatively, or with delight and fear towards the Wild Things. Pre-teens and young teens alike will connect with Max, the central character, and intuitively relate to his experiences, while adults are bound to recognize the allegorical nature of the experience and enjoy it for what it is.

This movie is based on the book Where the Wild Things Are written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. The story involves a young boy named Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes into a world of fantasy. He lands on an island where he encounters mysterious and strange creatures, whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy but finds that even then he can't escape his frustrating home life.

Jonzes takes you on a journey that matches the adventure and mystery of the original work. The notable voice cast includes Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper, and Forest Whitaker. Before you see this film, banish any preconceptions about viewing another generic children's book adaptation. This film has its funny moments, but it also contains moments of heartbreak. The original book was no more than 10 lines, so you have to give credit to Jones for working with so little content. While the book is a classic children's tale, the themes embedded in the film run much deeper. This film is a fun, bizarre, and heartwarming narrative. Viewers experience a tender, visually beautiful, and complex look inside the mind of a lonely child.

Grade: B or Four out of Five Wildcats

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