I think in time the response of young children to Wild Things will be similar to my first memories of The Neverending Story.
They'll see it and they may or may not get it, but it'll still stand out in their minds because of the creatures and the fantastic elements. Then couple years later they'll rediscover the film on tv and video.
It's rare that a film lives up to its hype. Always happy when one does.
I thought WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was a very good movie. Not perfect, and certainly different, but very good.
I love the childhood elements. Rolling down hills, snow forts, elaborate plans for "forts", the whole "I have this or that magic power plus infinity plus one, and you can't get beyond that" element...love it.
A lot has been made of Max Records and his performance. He was pretty good, but he wasn't THAT good. He had a meatier role than most child actors ever get, but let's face it, he had to play a kid, and he did a good job, because he IS a kid. Much of the time though, he just sat there, and the camera moved in on his face or something. Not a lot of subtley in his performance.
The Wild Things weren't scary, they were mildly creepy. The voices were decent, but I kept wishing they were slightly more "monstrous".
Thought Max's "journey" to the land of the Wild Things was very well done, an abrubt segeway from the real to the imaginary. Max's introduction to the Wild Things is somewhat awkward, but the rest of the film flows very well.
Very good effects work.
Some of the music was amazing. Some of it was grating. Sort of a mixed bag.
I'm iffy on the Wild Things having names. "Carol"?
Why is Mark Ruffalo in this movie?
What elementary school teacher tells kids the sun is going to burn out and the universe is going to die? Don't remember that lesson.
Some of the dialogue is awkward, but not consistently. The dialogue has a pseudo childlike quality to it, "children" posturing as adults.
Someone said there's no character development. Not true. Max has some, Carol has some, and Judith has a little as well.
Beautifully shot, though the shaky cam is at times more distracting than it needed to be. There are simply several moments when it was not neccessary, feels forced, and detracts from what's going on onscreen. Every time he runs, for instance, or any kind of "action".
I was initially upset that the Wild Things weren't angrier that Max was leaving, as they are in the book, but they DID carry the theme (We'll eat you up we love you so") of this moment in the book throughout the entire film, making it about expectations and failure to meet those expectatios, and gave it a great payoff:
seeing Carol make the connection to what Max had left him in his little cave workshop and run out to the beach in time to see Max go
...worth the change, I think. I would have liked Carol to have been angrier than his friend was leaving at first, and I do think they missed the point of the book somewhat in that fashion, but I think it worked pretty well nontheless.
I do think the film could have explored Max and his mother's relationship and his thoughts about her a bit more while he was on the Island.
I absolute love turning "We'll eat you up" into "If you fail me, I will hurt you". LOVE it.
That said, this movie did not transport me to childhood...it briefly reminded me of a few things I remember every time I think of childhood. I didn't return to childhood though, instead I remembered what it was like to leave it behind, learn I wasn't the center of the world, and grow up.
But this movie's strength are it's exploration of the transition from childhood to adulthood, its themes of emotional and physical abuse and how we deal with adversity, the way we hurt the ones that we love, interaction with others and learning you're not the center of the world, jealousy, and forgiveness. Heavy handed at times, and others wonderfully subtle, that's where the strength of this film lies.
What makes this movie difficult for some people is that it's a film based on a children's book, and it's about the chaotic mentality of childhood, but it's not really made for children.
Honestly, I think it was a bit too heady for most of the viewing audience, and maybe a bit too depressing (not gonna say "dark"). I wanted it to be lighter than it was, but thats because some of the themes are a bit too close to home.
When you're 7 or 8 or 9 years old, the smallest **** can set you off and just makes you angry. You're already confused as ****, and as we get older we don't really get that anymore, and just brush kids off acting like little bad asses as just being brats. That is what the movie captured.
theres a cnn article and the main critique of the movie it makes is that it doesn hold the attention of a 20 month old, is that really the great yardstick of cinema now?
I saw it on Sunday, and when I came back to school today, I felt like I was the absolute ONLY one who could enjoy/understand it. Out of like...the 10 people at my highschool who saw it.
It really goes to show that Wild Things is a film ABOUT kids, not FOR kids (though it's a stretch calling a highschooler a "kid" like how Max is a kid in the movie).
Not understanding? Those highschoolers are kinda sad. I understand not enjoying it but anyone that's ever had an English lit. class should have understood the basic points.
Hahahah, seriously? Nobody I know at school likes to think deep about movies or books (unless it's for an assignment or something, I guess), and nobody ever gives a **** about English class.
I think i took the story a little to literal.. to me it seemed like Max bit his mom, got on a boat then went to this island. I thought maybe it was a dream or he was writing the story but the ending just shows him leaving the island and running home.
Just saw the film tonight and I loved it. I just loved how awkward and bizarre the wild things were, especially in their mannerisms and thought processes. Loved it, amazing film.
Most people need a movie to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. With a clear cut villain, and something advancing the plot. That's why some don't seem to care for it.
Just saw the film tonight and I loved it. I just loved how awkward and bizarre the wild things were, especially in their mannerisms and thought processes. Loved it, amazing film.
Yeah, same. The way they believe things only a little kid would believe ("He's got a Double Re-cracker!"), but then they go leaping around, knocking down trees, and talk about eating past kings.
I could have an entire trilogy of just nothing but hanging out with the wild things.
Most people need a movie to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. With a clear cut villain, and something advancing the plot. That's why some don't seem to care for it.
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