FYC: Where the Wild Things Are, Best Art Direction

In thinking about Where the Wild Things Are, I'd like to use other children's book adaptations as a reference for comparison...except that I honestly haven't seen that many. To add to my ignorance, I also have never read the book (I did, however, beg my parents to rent this and this about 7 million times — the very beginning of my modest career as a film buff). I went into the theater with a clear mind, as an alternative to the recently panned Amelia, and with no expectations.

Where the Wild Things Are is an impressive exploration of a lonely child's imagination, complete with conflict, characterization, and life lessons in integrity. Yet, in the same two hours, we're subjected to absurdity, slapstick comedy, and goop. While I'm amazed that writers Spike Jonze and David Eggers (yawn) were able to accomplish what they did — turn a 15 page picture book into a 2 hour feature that tackles the complex realities of childhood — I can't help but feel that they were stuck between two worlds. The films attempts to offer something for both young and old audiences, and I'm afraid that they've bit off more than they could chew.

This is not to say that there is nothing to admire here. The film visually and emotionally captures what it's like to be a child, from the uncertainty of your surroundings to the manic highs and lows. An eclectic soundtrack set to reels of beautifully vast forests and panoramic shots of mini-villages will leave you feeling as though you're right inside Max's imagination. For me, that's not enough, but it's something you'll have to see for yourself.