Disappointinly dull.
Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:200
Fresh:143
Rotten:57
Average Rating:7/10
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] for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.
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... 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 story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in. The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought. --© Warner Bros [More]
Starring: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener
Starring: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Catherine O'Hara, Max Records, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper
Director: Spike Jonze
Director: Spike Jonze
Screenwriter: Dave Eggers, Spike Jonze
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Where the Wild Things Are
Sure, Where the Wild Things Are is darker than Dracula's sunset cup of Joe. And it may have a smaller potential audience than Lamaze'ing with the Stars. But I don't care.
It has its problems to be sure, but then again so does Max... and like Max, it learns to makes peace with them before time runs out.
Spike Jonze's new film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's classic 'Where the Wild Things' Are is more admirable than enjoyable.
Jonze's 'Wild Things' is a masterpiece in direction and cinematography but needs work in the pacing department.
A fine conversation piece for gifted kids%u2014assuming parents willing to talk to their kids about their feelings...also a fascinating psychological study for adults looking back on the roiling emotions of childhood.
It's a coming-of-age fairy tale, delivered with remarkable subtlety, patience, and confidence in its young audience.
On a purely surface level, even the expanded story feels like the book.
[Jonze has] achieved with the cinematic medium what Sendak did with words and pictures: He's grasped something true and terrifying about love at its most unconditional and voracious.
Has brilliant production values and inspiring messages, but it's ultimately too uneven, contrived and unimaginative while failing to thoroughly entertain adults and children simultaneously.
The pacing of Where the Wild Things Are is undoubtedly going to divide audiences, there's no denying that. All I can say is I am on the side of those who are glad Jonze decided to let the wild rumpus start.
really isn't a kids' movie as much as it is a movie for those of us who used to be kids
While not quite the horror show that the movie of The Cat In The Hat turned out to be, this is a far cry from feel-good family entertainment
As audacious experiments go, it is a flawed one, but unforgettably so.
There isn't a whole lot of narrative, but there's a ton of emotional truth.
Interview: From the looks of things, you'd think Where the Wild Things Are director Spike Jonze is more than just Max Records' director. You'd think Jonze was his 12-year-old star's father, too.
Sendak's book crackled with the combustible energy of adolescent anarchy and creative play -- two elements severely lacking from Spike Jonze's mopey, withdrawn feature-length adaptation.
Intellectually interesting, visually arresting and filled with invention, there's just one crucial thing Where the Wild Things Are is missing: wildness.
Latest News for Where the Wild Things Are
November 29, 2009:
Win Tickets To Where the Wild Things Are
Here's your chance to win one of 40 double passes to Spike Jonze's long awaited adaptation of 'Where the Wild Things Are'. 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...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 30% 30% | The Twilight Saga: New… | £4.3M |
| 84% 84% | Paranormal Activity | £3.6M |
| 55% 55% | Disney's A Christmas C… | £1.9M |
| 38% 38% | 2012 | £1.8M |
| 25% 25% | Law Abiding Citizen | £1.5M |
| 48% 48% | Nativity! | £0.8M |
| 77% 77% | Harry Brown | £0.3M |
| 86% 86% | A Serious Man | £0.2M |
| | De Dana Dan | £0.3M |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Where the Wild Things Are at Rotten Tomatoes
- Where the Wild Things Are at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.





