Where the Wild Things Are.

I have read both positive and negative reviews for it before watching, but I would like to think that I went into the theater with an open mind.

With that said, I'm going to go ahead and say that, above all, it was touching. I won't pretend that it was anything like what I thought it would be, based on my childhood memories of the precious book. At the same time, however, I actually didn't expect that it would be very much like the book or even could be. To be fair, the book was a picture book, complete with a probable total of less than 100 words (some of the pages were just picture pages, no words).

So yes, to the people that complained (quite harshly!) that it was nothing like the book, I'm sorry you felt it was a waste of your time.

I thought, however, that Mr. Jonze really redeemed himself in his dark, yet poignant rendition of the human condition: that in all of us, there is a wild thing, but more importantly, the immutable reality of sadness and loneliness. When one of the wild things (I believe his name was Alexander) timidly asks Max, "Will you keep out all the sadness?" there was a glimpse of the hope we all retain in the childlike crevices of our minds, that yes, it was possible to keep out the bad stuff. Twenty minutes into the "wild rumpus", however, we find that, despite Max's supposed king-like powers, sadness and strife are inevitably a part of who we are. "Happiness isn't always the best way to be happy," says Judith (a downer).

Indeed, although the message may be trite, its delivery was truly a masterpiece of creativity and imagination. As well, the musical score was a beautiful touch to this heart-rending adaptation, and I loved the consistency behind the realization of the book's characters. Those, at least, stayed pretty much on point - exactly as I remembered them!

I had a great time watching this movie. My only, yet fervent complaint is that it should have been made clear that the movie was not for children. I can only imagine the hundreds of little kids that have already been traumatized by its dark and eerie imagery. During some clips, the movie seemed to transcend into the horror category itself.

And I know a thing or two about horror movies - I still run to my bed at night when all the lights are off, and duck under my covers leaving a very small breathe-hole, because I think monsters are chasing me.

True story.