THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
For some of us as viewers, we see movies to escape reality that surrounds us. When you see a fictional character do the same, you feel the irony. I believe that one of the few movies that succeed such a scenario is Where the Wild Things Are.
PLOT
Based on the children's book by Maurice Sendak, the film follows a young boy named Max. As he lives with sister Claire and divorced mother Connie (Catherine Keener), he actively uses his imagination to get through the day. One night, he grows of her date with a guy named Adrian (Mark Ruffalo) that he makes acts rude and throws a tantrum. When he bites her mother, she yells at him for it and he runs away out of fear. He than finds a boat near a pond, but that pond becomes an ocean overnight and he makes way towards an island. When arriving at night, he discovers a group of large creatures. He sees one named Carol destroying their huts, while the others try to stop him from continuing. Max helps him, but the group is offended of him destroying where they live. They contemplate on eating him, but he stops them from trying by claiming he has powers. Impressed on what he says, Carol crowns them as their own king. As he declares a rumpus, he properly meets everyone else: Douglas, Ira, Judith, KW, Alexander and a quiet bull like beast. Carol later shows him a model he built, wishing what the island would look like. This inspires the boy to make a giant fort, appointing Carol in charge of construction. Unnecessary tension occurred between Max and Judith when she believes he points Carol as the favorite. He bonds with KW for the moment, meeting her owl friends Bob and Terry. Carol gets jealous when meeting them and forbids them from sleeping in their pile. Max tries to shake things up by having everyone play in a dirt clod fight. The fun ends when Carol and KW argue. One day, Max talks to Alexander who got injured during the game. As he admits to not being an actual king, the other admits to suspecting it but warns him not to let Carol know. One night, Carol has another outburst and calls out Max for failing as a king. However, Douglas reveals to him and the others that he's just a boy. He tells Carol he went along with it because he knew how bad he wanted a king. This enrages his friend to the point that he rips off his right arm, later replacing it with a stick. He than chases Max into the woods, threatening to eat him. Thankfully, KW helps him hide by doing so inside her mouth, not eating him. When Carol passes by, she is able to calm him down. When he leaves, Max decides that it's time for him to go home. As he searches for Carol again, he discovers the island model, due to another fit of rage. When he does find him, he does admit that Douglas was right, which only disappoints him even more. When heading to the beach, the Bull (Michael Berry Jr.) speaks to him for the first time, asking to tell nice things of them. He says his goodbye to the group and when Carol arrives to the beach, they all share one last howl. The film ends with Max returning home and reconciling with his mother through a hug. THOUGHTS
Seeing this as a kid back in 2009 was a lot for me to take because I did not expect for it to be so dramatic. Now as an adult, I can finally say how much I appreciate this movie now. I truly think that director/co writer Spike Jonze gave one of the most beautiful films to ever be made. This film has a special place in my heart because he and co writer Dave Eggers were able to translate the same message that I learned from the original book: With our imagination, we can turn traumatic moments of our lives into vehicles for survival and growth. In this story's case, we see that children can do it best. The fact that we feel this through a fantasy film is outstanding. If that somehow doesn't impress you, than the cinematography by Lance Acord will. Breakout Max Records is arguably phenomenal as Max because he displays him as a misunderstood child. His parents have broken up and doesn't know how to cope with it, hence the use of his imagination as a mechanism. His use of his imagination is a blessing in disguise because it is with it where he realizes how powerful his actions are to those around him. If you're still asking yourself what makes this film imaginary, the answer is the wild things themselves, who come to life thanks to the blend of CGI and puppetry thanks to the Jim Henson's Creature Shop. What makes them all so intriguing is how in some way, they represent a part of Max. That pays off thanks to such a diverse voice cast. Lauren Ambrose portrays KW as the loner who shares as much as she can. Paul Dano shows Alexander to be the belittled of the group who just wants attention. Forest Whitaker displays Ira as the most gentle. Chris Cooper portrays Douglas as the one who prefers to be a peacekeeper, rather than let chaos ensue. Catherine O'Hara shows Judith to be loud and aggressive. And the late James Gandolfini displays Carol as the most impulsive. It is through Carol where Max realizes that he should've not acted the way he did to his mother. Going back to Max, the best thing about him is that despite all the anger, he still loves him. This movie can be bold in its own way but despite the praise, there were still some things I was itching my head about. First off, why the hell is Max running with a fork? I know kids can be kids but that could've been worse if he fell the wrong way. Also, why would a teacher teach students that the sun would die in the future? I know I didn't learn that in elementary and considering Max is supposed to be in that grade area, it doesn't make sense for him or any kid to learn that at all. Was I the only creeped out seeing KW hit Bob & Terry with rocks? They looked fine afterwards, but she could've just called them. The dirt clod fight looked fun, but how do you win one exactly? I hope it ain't knocking out the opposing team because that would be messed up. And why did the group rest in the middle of the forest when they just built the fort? That was a weird way to call out Max's powers. Other than that, I can still enjoy this movie for what it is. In conclusion, Where the Wild Things Are is a smarter film than one would think. If you love the children's book, I assure you that you'll enjoy this movie as well.
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