Where the Wild Things Are

Over the last couple of weeks, the DH has really wanted to go see the movie Where the Wild Things Are. I had heard a couple of mixed reviews, but I'd also seen some footage of the filming of the movie and I was definitely intrigued. What I didn't know before we went to the movie, was that the DH had never read or seen the book. He had no idea what the story was about. He had expectations. It reminded me of the last time I went to a movie that a friend said was the BEST MOVIE EVER MADE. And yes, she said it in all caps. It was good, but not the best ever, so I came away disappointed.

We saw the movie last Saturday evening. We enjoyed Thai food before going to the show, and the show was pretty amazing from a cinematic point of view. I loved the fort that Max and the monsters built on the island. Visually, I thought it had a lot of impact. As far as the book goes, it's pretty light on plot, so Spike Jonze didn't have a lot to go on. I think he fleshed it out as much as anyone could without completely deviating from the original. Because the original story doesn't have a lot of development, I didn't expect that out of the movie either. Unfortunately, the DH thought he was going to get a full-blown plot. Not so.

Overall, I thought the movie was good. The time that Max spends on the island includes a lot more than you find in the book and it explores complex negative emotions that young people have. There's some fun in there too, but be prepared for some heavy stuff at times. The good news is that Max ends up at home eating his warm dinner in the movie just like in the book.

If you're thinking about seeing the movie, but haven't read the book, check this out. It's good to have appropriate expectations.