Last Sunday we finally rented Where The Wild Things Are and it has taken me nearly a week to write the review for it because it has been really hard for me to determine exactly how I felt about this film. I went into watching this movie with not that great of expectations because simply how would a nine line book translate into a full movie. While for me Polar Express successfully made this jump, Wild Things Are did not keep a flow and is really a much deeper movie with a lot of symbolism and for me changed my own outlook on this great children's story.
To me this book has always been about a young boy who after being rowdy is sent to his room but it is there that his imagination takes over and he goes to an island of monsters and becomes there king. It was not until I really watched this movie that I realized that the different monsters represented either parts of Max or others in his life. This was an angle of the book that I had never looked at or even thought about.
Ira is most definitely Max's father, who is never shown in the film, but doesn't have to be. Max obviously longs for him and shows nothing but jealousy and anger towards his mother's new boyfriend. The most obvious clue is that Judith and Ira are the only couple on the island. Ira is a pleasant, lovable character, which is how Max would idealize his father if he was mad at his mother. Furthermore, Ira is the monster that Max goes out of his way compliment—a bit of a role-reversal from father-to-son, now king-to-subject—and Ira is the only monster that Max hugs when he departs.
While this story really becomes a story that looks into the psychology of us and how divorce can affect a family and the relationships between them and was interesting at times it really goves a feeling of being a dark and oppressive film. While Sendak's book was visually dark, it does have an emotion to it that is happy and vibrant. Which the film failed to deliver for me.
While there were parts that I understood in the story for the most part this movie confused me over and over throughout the entire time. I am giving this movie two buckets of popcorn out of five. This is not a movie that if you are a fan of the children's book that I would recommend. However if you have not read the children's story go out and buy the book instead of renting this movie and read it.
-The Movie Man-
Ouch... Well I guess you are a critic. I liked the movie, probably to the point of at least another bucket and a half of pop corn. I have actually read different things of who people think the monsters represent. Such as Ira being the moms boy friend, or being Max's creative side: Frustrated, angry, looking for an outlet and recognition. But it makes more sense to be his father. I sill enjoyed it though to where I would give three to three and a half buckets of pop corn.
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