Review: Where The Wild Thing Are

Based on the classic short children’s story by Maurice Sendak, Where The Wild Things Are takes us into Max’s world and introduces us to a world of magical monsters, and childhood anger.

The film is visually perfect. I couldn’t tell what was puppetry, and what was CG. The world of the wild things is beautiful, and captures the essence of the children’s book illustrations. It is not very colorful, but wonderful to look at for young and old.

The film was both confusing and boring. It was too much like the book. When you adapt any media into another, things must be changed. Especially when you have such a short single-minded book. Yes, they added a backstory, but that was all. The movie was just an expression of childhood anger, much like the book. Once Max got to the land of the wild things the plot ceased to move forward and just became a series of angry expression by Max and the wild things. Too much like the book. The filmmakers appear to use the book theme as an excuse for not having a good story.

The synopsis of the expanded story could’ve been pulled right from H.R. Pufnstuf. Hopefully, Sid and Marty Krofft will see this movie and use it to help determine the direction an Pufnstuf feature film should take. Honestly, the 1970s camp film “Pufnstuf” was a much better movie.

I give “Where The Wild Things Are” a didn’t really need to see it.