Where the Wild Things Are? A Short Review

Where the Wild Things Are?
What can you say about Spike Jonez that has not already been said. He is a man with a fantastic vision and is the type of director who's work will be studied for years to come in film schools everywhere. In Where The Wild Things Are? (based on the children's novel with the same name) Spike turns a simple tail on its head by mixing in a live action format with voices from well known celebrities including James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara (who incedently gave a wonderful reading of the kids book at a local Indigo here on Wednesday) and many others.
What I liked about the film is that it captured the heart and soul of the book while not being too cheesy. The chanters were developed just enough to be strong on their own without needing to be universal (you know the types you see on screen that are just begging to be McDonalds Happy Meal Toys) What I didn’t like about the movie is that its too scary for kids under 5 and kids over 5 don't really care for the book. It’s the only disconnect I see in the film. However I will say I really enjoyed what Spike did with this film. The music is wonderful and brings a new energy to the film that makes it more of an action adventure then just a kids fable. Yes there are strong themes and conversations to be had after watching the movie but I do think its one of the better kids flicks out this year - just be careful on how young the kids are.

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