The novelty of looking at the creatures never wears off, and Jonze uses an inquisitive handheld style that works.
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10/12/09
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Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
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Reviews Counted:203
Fresh:143
Rotten:60
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Some may find its dark tone and slender narrative off-putting, but Spike Jonze's heartfelt adaptation of the classic children's book is as beautiful as it is uncompromising.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating]
Genre: Childrens
Theatrical Release:11-12-2009
Synopsis: Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in “Where the Wild Things Are,” a classic... [More]
Starring: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener
Director: Spike Jonze
Reviews for Where the Wild Things Are
It's also too adult in its concerns to be fully understood by most children. And paradoxically, it's also too child-like in its construction to be appreciated by most adults.
12/07/09
A gloomy, self-conscious art movie version of the children's book that received the benediction of the author which should tell you something about the dubious value of the source material.
12/07/09
...a total collapse of coherent storytelling--disconnected scenes of running, jumping, throwing, thrashing, and destroying interspersed with languid stretches of navel gazing (read: moping).
12/06/09
The film has the handmade quality and intimacy that Jonze so clearly was after, but it lingers too much in a kind of dragging, adult sadness that feels too overwrought for the film's inner child.
12/04/09
Jonze evokes the amplified emotions of childhood, from jubilation to despair, with such a well crafted sense of timing that he carries us along for the ride.
12/03/09
Imagination is the real star of Sendak's classic and Jonze and his co-writer, Dave Eggers, have expanded on its brief text to spin a story in which the tough and the tender smoothly coalesce.
12/03/09
Occupying that realm somewhere between a complete mess and a flawed masterpiece.
12/03/09
It’s a strange thing that this story has had such a hold over generations of children, it’s quite a dark tale. And that darkness is in the film.
12/02/09
Young actor Max Records gives a terrific performance that captures both the uncertainty and the rampaging energy of his character.
12/02/09
Jonze has succeeded splendidly in making a movie about the challenges of childhood, and it's likely the material will resonate more with the adults who read Wild Things to their children rather than delight the children themselves.
12/02/09
Those hoping for a fun-lovin' romp through the kooky world of Max and his zany monster pals are likely to be disappointed.
12/02/09
What we have here is a challenging, psychological rendering of a child's classic that may indeed be too unexciting and melancholy for kids, and too unstructured to be fully appreciated by adults.
12/02/09
The real beauty of Where The Wild Things Are comes with its simplicity. With only minimal plot to work with, Jonze instead makes this a weird, funky mood piece, finding an odd but highly effective rhythm on which the film joyously floats.
12/01/09
A heartfelt expression of the blacks, whites, and greys of childhood emotions as Jonze understands it, and he does deserve credit for presenting them with an ugly realism.
11/28/09
This film is not for me, but I do recognise its accomplishments and see how it appeals to the fan base, and how the young Max's journey connects with youngsters
11/28/09
A wildly mixed bag. With its mix of live action, computer animation and puppetry, there is plenty that is wonderful, yet there are some irritating aspects. Like the manic hand-held camera. However, young Max Records' performance is sensational
11/28/09
I think it's brave and smart and expects its audience to be the same: it refuses to spoonfeed what it's doing to anyone.
11/21/09
Wild Things might have been just another crass cartoon. Most filmmakers would have made the monsters' wild rumpus the film's raison d'être. Instead, Jonze and Eggers have crafted a poetic, personal interpretation.
11/20/09
Feelings of loss and frustration, acted out so loudly, raucously, and repeatedly, are at the center of Where the Wild Things Are.
11/19/09
Latest News for Where the Wild Things Are
December 07, 2009:
Exclusive: The World of Where the Wild Things Are
It has taken Being John Malkovich and Adaptation director Spike Jonze more than five years to bring Where the Wild Things Are to the big screen. Maurice Sendak, the writer and... More...
November 22, 2009:
Win A Signed Where the Wild Things Are Poster
It's one of 2009's most anticipated films -- director Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's kids' classic, Where the Wild Things Are -- and it's almost, at long last,... More...
October 18, 2009:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Audiences Eat Up Wild Things
Three new releases hit the multiplexes while one indie sensation expands nationally hoping to strike gold and shake up the establishment. Leading the charge is the family film... More...
October 15, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Where the Wild Things Are Is A Wild Rumpus
This week, we've got a wild rumpus (Where the Wild Things Are, starring Max Records and Catherine Keener), a legal skirmish (Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard... More...
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