‘Where the Wild Things Are’: A Review

Children respond emotionally to their surroundings. They can be walking on clouds in one moment and feel as if their worlds are falling apart in another. “Where the Wild Things Are” will take viewers back to a time where the world was a simple place and these emotions run loose.

“Where the Wild Things Are” came out last Friday. Produced by Spike Jonze, the film is an interpretation of Maurice Sendak’s children’s book of the same title. Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” originally published in 1963, still stands as one of the most widely acclaimed American children’s picture books of all time. Republished in 1991, the book has transcended this generation of high school students’ youth and those of their parents.

When the film begins, Max (played by Max Records) runs out of his suburban house to build an igloo by the street, destroyed as a result of a snowball fight between him and his sister’s friends. Max is distraught, and the culmination of his sister’s continual lack of affection and mother’s impatience with his childish behavior results in an emotional outburst. He runs into the woods only to be transported into a magical land where gentle monsters, or “wild things,” live, and is soon pronounced their king.

For many, the images and emotions of “Where the Wild Things Are,” including the white wolf suit with pointy ears and bushy tail that Max likes to wear, the mild and scraggly illustration and the ever-so-huggable wild things that Max encounters during his voyage, evoke nostalgia like few other works of his contemporaries.

Jonze was faced with the intimidating task of elaborating on an exemplary children’s book totaling no more than 9 sentences, yet succeeded in creating a 101-minute extension of the work filled with the imagery and passion conveyed in the original. The creative and interpretive liberties taken by the production staff are fitting as they tie back to the original work.

The way that Max transitions into the imaginary world parallels the brilliant CGI behind the wild things, who are lively and entirely embraceable. Jonze should be commended for this feat.

The film effectively captures the essence of childhood through Max’s adventures with the wild things he meets, expanding appropriately on the book. Max constructs gigantic forts, swings on trees, plays a game of “good guys versus bad guys” and cuddles with his fuzzy companions in one giant pile. Viewers of all ages will appreciate these tender moments as they reminisce about the innocence of their childhoods.

What will fascinate teenage viewers and older is the metaphorical correspondence between the wild things and their counterparts in Max’s home life, including his mother and sister.

This contributes to the deeper, meaningful message that we must learn to get along despite differences in age and maturity. Max faces these challenges through his role as king when he delegates conflict between the wild things.

The “Where the Wild Things Are” movie soundtrack, released on Tuesday, September 29, is a key component to the feel of the film. Before the movie took shape, Jonze asked his former girlfriend Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to co-produce a soundtrack with him. Karen O collaborated with Tom Biller of Afternoons and with members of the bands Dead Winter, Deerhunter and Lies.

Perhaps the most important contributors were a group of vocally untrained children who completed the record. Their voices perfectly translate the book’s innocence to the movie, making the music speak to babies, teenagers and seniors alike.

Songs to check out include “All Is Love,” “Igloo” and “Worried Shoes,” a Daniel Johnston cover.

As a whole, these songs fit seamlessly into the context of the film’s events. The soundtrack and the innovative cinematography play off of each other’s fast and slow moments, and the result is that the audience feels like it’s seeing the world as children highly sensitive to emotion.

A viewing of “Where the Wild Things Are” is the ideal opportunity to dress all-out. In case there is no Max wolf suit disposable (there is a $610 option offered by Opening Ceremony), slap on the pair of pajamas under the pillow and flaunt them with childish pride.