Where the Wild Things Are

Considering I had never read the book as a child, for me the film experience was probably very different. The story itself was a bit thin, but I was expecting that going into the theater. After all, the premise is about a boy escaping into his own world. I think there are messages between the lines, of course. Themes of self-discovery mix with innocence and immature emotion to create a kind of reminiscent, subconscious realization that many of us had as children. You know, that phase when you begin to realize what is right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate. And the movie itself was filmed very beautifully. The monster characters are larger than life, quite possibly some of the best special effects I have ever seen. And I know that the author, Maurice Sendak, helped them along throughout the filming/writing process, so that makes the movie all the more special in my eyes. I always like when an original creator of an adaptation gets involved with the reinvention of the story from book to film. He wanted the film to be honest with children, keeping deep-thought themes like anger, loneliness, and love in the movie without “dumbing it down”. I think they did a wonderful job.