Where the Wild Things Are: 6.5 7 out of 10.
I've been looking forward to this Spike Jonze adaptation of Maurice Sendak's book since I first saw that great trailer featuring Arcade Fire's "Wake Up". But luke-warm reviews removed the urgency. Yesterday, on a rare afternoon without kids to care for and a free movie pass burning a hole in my wallet, my wife and I headed out to see the latest Coen brothers film, A Serious Man.
As it turned out, Saturday was the only day of the week A Serious Man wasn't playing at 3:55. A quick scan of the other films playing revealed very little I could stomach. Where the Wild Things won by default.
It's not as good as I had hoped, but it's not bad. The creatures look great and you're completely drawn into Max's world - which mainly serves to remind us adults that the world can be a pretty scary place for kids.
I'm glad we didn't take the kids. Where the Wild Things Are isn't a kids movie. It's all about remembering the insecurities, fears and abandonment issues shared by many a youngster. That's some scary shit.
When I first left the theatre, I thought this was a solid 7. The morning after, however, it's a 6.5. A 9 sentence book does not a 100 minute movie make.
Upon further reflection, we're back up to a 7/10.
