Where the Wild Things Are
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Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-PqqifyjA
With the passing of Maurice Sendak over a week ago, I decided it was time to watch Where The Wild Things Are, a movie that I have been putting off for a long time. But a little backstory first. As a kid, I read the book a lot and really enjoyed the story being told. But more than anything, it was the artwork that captivated me and I'd just stare at each page for the longest time. And then I did what all kids do...I grew up. I haven't had any association with the book since I was maybe 7 or 8 years old. So, I was going into the movie basically 'spoiler free' again.
So, how was the movie? There are some cool things about it and then there are some bad things. The cool things are of course the Monsters. I applaud Spike Jones for being able to make a seamless transition from page to screen and they really do steal every scene they are in. Carol had the most impact visually and emotionally. Now for the bad. When a "puppet" such as Carol is able to convey more feeling and emotion through Special FX and CGI over a human character such as Max, you know something is seriously wrong.
I just did not like the kid playing Max at all. He's just not a very likable actor...or character. The entire time I was watching the movie, I was hoping that the screenplay would deviate from the source material and that someone....anyone would eat the kid. Like I said, the movie does look gorgeous, but that's all there is and it's certainly a movie I'll ever bother watching again. Don't believe all the reviews that rave about this one being an instant classic. It's not. This is good for a Rent.....as a last resort rental that is.