Where the mild things are
By: Kathryn Serpa
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Entertainment
Fact-I was wholly prepared to hate/loathe Spike Jonze's film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are." My mindset: This looks like an overly sensitive, hipster jerk-off merchandise-marketing ploy.
I truly tried to dislike it. I halfway succeeded; but trying to completely hate/loathe something completely adorable/heartwarming and charming/touching is a difficult task, and despite my critical-girl antics, I admittedly failed.
I am meeting the film halfway: half of it was awesome, half of it sucked. Anyone telling you otherwise is lying.
Awesome Half:
The score is awesome. Karen O. (that cute girl from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and the Kids throw out a number of original songs that compliment the film perfectly.
The animation is awesome. Even though the actors playing the monsters are lumbering around in giant foam-padded animatronic Jim Henson Co. costumes, their amazing CGI expressions give them an interestingly realistic look.
The charming kid who plays Max is awesome. For a child his age, he possesses a commendable and memorable acting talent. He also barks at everything, which was pretty (for lack of a better word) cute.
Suck Half:
Obviously, it would be difficult to pad a ten-sentence children's picture book into a feature length film; I understand serious creative liberties had to be taken.
However, it is painfully obvious when the plotline gets exhausted; the story suddenly drops off, gets excruciatingly moody, and then ends.
Awesome score/animation/charming kid aside, this entire film could have been successfully executed within an hour and would have still achieved the same effect.
The score: This was an ideal lazy afternoon post-Halloween hangover-recovery film. And yes, go see it. It's the kind of movie you should take your girlfriend to. The whole damn plot is so emotionally charged that I bet you a high-five she gets misty-eyed and wants to hold hands and cuddle within the first fifteen minutes.
"Where the Wild Things Are" is original, innovative, and despite needing two Zoloft halfway through, pretty amazing.
I truly tried to dislike it. I halfway succeeded; but trying to completely hate/loathe something completely adorable/heartwarming and charming/touching is a difficult task, and despite my critical-girl antics, I admittedly failed.
I am meeting the film halfway: half of it was awesome, half of it sucked. Anyone telling you otherwise is lying.
Awesome Half:
The score is awesome. Karen O. (that cute girl from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and the Kids throw out a number of original songs that compliment the film perfectly.
The animation is awesome. Even though the actors playing the monsters are lumbering around in giant foam-padded animatronic Jim Henson Co. costumes, their amazing CGI expressions give them an interestingly realistic look.
The charming kid who plays Max is awesome. For a child his age, he possesses a commendable and memorable acting talent. He also barks at everything, which was pretty (for lack of a better word) cute.
Suck Half:
Obviously, it would be difficult to pad a ten-sentence children's picture book into a feature length film; I understand serious creative liberties had to be taken.
However, it is painfully obvious when the plotline gets exhausted; the story suddenly drops off, gets excruciatingly moody, and then ends.
Awesome score/animation/charming kid aside, this entire film could have been successfully executed within an hour and would have still achieved the same effect.
The score: This was an ideal lazy afternoon post-Halloween hangover-recovery film. And yes, go see it. It's the kind of movie you should take your girlfriend to. The whole damn plot is so emotionally charged that I bet you a high-five she gets misty-eyed and wants to hold hands and cuddle within the first fifteen minutes.
"Where the Wild Things Are" is original, innovative, and despite needing two Zoloft halfway through, pretty amazing.
Be the first to comment on this story