Directed by Spike Jonze, Where The Wild Things Are is an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book of the same name. It tells the story of a young boy [Max] who is sent to bed with no dinner and runs away from home. However Max goes off to an imaginary world where he meets Carol and his band of 'wild things' who claim him as their ruler.
Having not read the book I was interested to see how it would be translated to the screen, as i've been told the book is about 10 pages long. Needless to say Spike Jonze has done an excellent job in bringing the book to the big screen.
We see Max go through a place in his mind that is both visually arresting and heart warming. Jonze manages to bring viewers back to the days where we could wish all our problems away and go to far off places where we are in control.
With state of the costume design, puppetry and characters voiced by James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Paul Dano(There will be blood) and Chris Cooper (Adaptation) you will be able to identify with at least one of these creatures or indeed Max himself. The movie is a 101 minutes long but you dont feel it as you see Max and his friends.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to be reminded of the sweet bird that was their youth or for someone who wants a break from reality during the hustle and bustle of the festive season.
Rating: 3/5
