Land of the Wild Things


Where the Wild Things Are is a dull remake of the famous 1963 picture book.
Where the Wild Things Are is an example of what happens when you take a beloved picture book, and turn it into an hour and 40 minute film. It has good intentions in its depiction of the mind of a child, but fails to remember the basic aspects of cinema. Whether it be that the film is too dull to keep anyone engrossed, or that each scene is overacted, Where the Wild Things Are is a clear indication that Spike Jonze really needs to spend some time mourning over the abomination he has released in theatres.

Where the Wild Things Are begins with a disturbing scene of a child screaming at the top of his lungs while chasing a dog with a knife. This is Max (Played by Max Records), a kid who feels like he has been neglected, and has resorted to creating an imaginary fantasy world inhabited by giant, juvenile creatures. One would expect the film to include Max befriending the creatures and discovering that the world doesn't revolve around him, however it takes a disturbing twist when Max threatens to kill all the creatures unless they crown him king. The use of addictive substances may have inspired this tragic turn of events.

The performances don't help either. Max Records has the problem of overacting, for his script mostly consists of screams. The voicing for the "wild things" are also overdone, but not as much as Max, thankfully. The costumes are bizarre, seeing that they all look like Muppets on steroids.

Another flaw is the obscure storytelling, which fails to give enough details on the monsters. Each monster is frivolous, and unfortunately have the depth of a kiddie pool. "Why are the monsters unhappy?" is a question I asked throughout the film, as it gives us only their personality descriptions and not the history of these creatures. This is a missed opportunity, considering it would have made this film interesting. The film should have included more dialogue, and less of the dull antics of Max and his "wild things."

I sense that Where the Wild Things Are has a lot of heart. Unfortunately, while its means well, it simply isn't interesting enough to ever be something that any child or adult could enjoy. For a relatively short movie, it feels surprisingly long and dull. You can have more fun creating your own imaginary world, a world where this film doesn't exist.

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