Where the Sad Things Are

Grade: B

Keeping with the theme of movies based on classic kids' books following Fantastic Mr. Fox, it seems time to review Where the Wild Things Are, which I saw a month ago. Now, they've been trying to turn this picture book into a movie for decades. It's probably gone through countless scripts, directors, and concepts. So for all of the movie's accomplishments, and there are many, I can't help but asking: why, of all the possible ways to adapt this book, did Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers choose to do a movie about depressed monsters?

Seriously, that's what it's about. Like the heroes of many children's movies, Max (Max Records) is an imaginative young lad who doesn't get enough attention from his family, specifically his overworked mother (Catherine Keener). After getting into a fight with his mom while her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo, in an odd cameo) is over, Max runs away, eventually making it to the island of monsters. But once there, he realizes they feel even worse than he does. They soon elect him king under the promise that he can make the sadness go away. But no amount of giant forts or mudball fights can keep the depression at bay for long.

That's pretty much it for plot. The biggest conflict is that KW (Lauren Ambrose), formerly dating or bffs (it's unclear) with Carol (James Gandolfini), has found new friends (who cause the strangest scene in the movie), making Carol angry. There's a lot of emotion, a lot of mood, and a lot of cool visuals, but story's not a major component. And since the monsters spend most of their time moping around feeling sad, it's hard to see many children enjoying themselves.

Still, if you accept that this is a movie about depressed monsters, the idea is incredibly well-executed. The visual technique of using CGI for the faces but real bodies, or however they do it, works completely. The monsters are completely distinct from any other movie creations beforehand. And many of the other visuals are stunning, especially the enormous fort they build under Max's command. It may be what we expect from Spike Jonze, but good to see him deliver.

As odd as some of the emotions in the film may seem, they're also very effective. More than any other recent movie I can think of, Where the Wild Things Are really makes you remember what it feels like to be a kid, the highs and the lows. The joys of how wonderful a snowball fight at the first snow of the season can be, and how lonely it can feel to have no one to share it with. For anyone over a certain age, the movie seems guaranteed to bring on nostalgia.

I will say that Where the Wild Things Are is very original - from the visuals to the tone - and an impressive feat for Jonze and co. But I also wonder if fans of the book - or even the Arcade Fire-scored trailer - can really be satisfied by it. The movie is absolutely the logical extension of its creators' vision; it just isn't the vision most of us hoped for.