Toronto Mike

Where the Wild Things Are Review

Movie Review

Where the Wild Things Are: 6.5 7 out of 10.

I've been looking forward to this Spike Jonze adaptation of Maurice Sendak's book since I first saw that great trailer featuring Arcade Fire's "Wake Up".  But luke-warm reviews removed the urgency.  Yesterday, on a rare afternoon without kids to care for and a free movie pass burning a hole in my wallet, my wife and I headed out to see the latest Coen brothers film, A Serious Man.

As it turned out, Saturday was the only day of the week A Serious Man wasn't playing at 3:55.  A quick scan of the other films playing revealed very little I could stomach.  Where the Wild Things won by default.

It's not as good as I had hoped, but it's not bad.  The creatures look great and you're completely drawn into Max's world - which mainly serves to remind us adults that the world can be a pretty scary place for kids.

I'm glad we didn't take the kids.  Where the Wild Things Are isn't a kids movie.  It's all about remembering the insecurities, fears and abandonment issues shared by many a youngster.  That's some scary shit.

When I first left the theatre, I thought this was a solid 7.  The morning after, however, it's a 6.5.  A 9 sentence book does not a 100 minute movie make.

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Upon further reflection, we're back up to a 7/10.

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