bill bodkin explores the cinematic adaptation of a children’s book classic …
It’s odd that a film can be extremely impressive and extremely disappointing at the same time.
Where The Wild Things Are is a movie that, much like its lead character Max, is very intense and teaming with emotion — sometimes uncontrollably.
It’s an absolute visual masterpiece, vividly bringing to life the famed “wild things” that generations of children (myself included) have only dreamed about. Director Spike Jonze’s idea of employing the Jim Henson Company to create the wild things was an absolute stroke of genius. The emotions that these puppets/costumes evoke rivals that of the best actors in Hollywood. You can literally watch this film without sound and be absolutely blown away by the seamless incorporation of puppetry, costumes and special effects that brings these creatures to life. Not since Gollum from Lord Of The Rings has visual effects looked so lifelike.
In terms of adaptation, Jonze and renowned author David Eggers have done an absolutely mind-blowing taking a book that contained only 10 sentences and producing a 90-plus minute feature chock full of emotionally charged dialogue — each line containing significant emotional impact or a life lesson in it.
However, the one thing that the film lacks is an air of whimsy and fun. Since the film was based on a beloved children’s book, it’s surprising how dark and depressing the movie is. If you’re thinking about bringing a young child to this film, don’t. It may be rated PG, but it’s far too intense. From lines about characters being unable to commit, to characters suffering from extreme depression to violent, intense arguments — one including a character getting its arm ripped off — it’s much too mature for a youngster to enjoy.
Don’t get me wrong — these scenes are brilliant. But there needs to be a break from all the intensity. There are small moments of frivolity, mostly during the “wild rumpus” in the beginning, but the film needed just a handful more of these scenes to help punctuate the intensity and serious themes that Jonze and Eggers want to address. As an audience member, you feel a constant bombardment of serious, depressive emotion — which is sometimes exhausting.
This is a tremendous film that deserves a number of Academy Award nominations — especially for its adapted screenplay and visual effects. But for me, the constant intensity caused a disconnect. I anticipated a film that would walk the fine line between fun and serious, much like Pixar’s Up! — the type of film that evokes great belly laughs and genuine tears. But in the end, I felt more downtrodden than uplifted as the final credits rolled.
I had about an hour thirty of genuine tears! haha Agree with the lack of fun, if it were as fun as it were intense, it would have been one of my fav movies of all time, but now I guess it’s just one of my favorites of the last year or so. What I don’t agree with is that the movie was depressing. I think it was certainly dark with depressing situations and moments, but the end resolve was existentially uplifting…hehe. Actually don’t listen to me, I’m the one that told Allyson that “The Hours” was uplifting.
I think the lack of fun to break up the intensity brought me down, hence the depressing. It’s still a quality film. Glad we all went to see it.
I was very sad and tense throughout this film…even skittles didn’t help to break the intensity. The film, to me, lacked sympathy for Max. He came across as a brat to me. A poster child for the ADHD generation, who showed moments of regret and shame at times, but not enough to overlook the selfishness and disrespect that permeated his brief cinematic existence. Still, the “wild things” were extremely well made. I see a visual effects oscar nom for sure.
I don’t need to go to the movies to become depressed I’m married.