Jackassalope

Pass the Popcorn: Where the Wild Things Are

I was really excited for this Spike Jonze adaptation to hit DVD this week. I read a ton of good reviews that prepared me to be taken into a magical childlike world of cinema. And yes, the visuals were fantastic and the emotional curve was very childlike, but the story lacked substance.

Spike Jonze did a great job showing the irrational emotions kids feel and how they deal with them, but we don't get a why. Once he takes us into Max's imagination, he doesn't provide a strong enough literary backbone to sustain an hour and half long story. I loved the melancholic feel but the characters didn't seem to grow. I was hoping there would be more...perhaps an arc that allows Max and the Wild Things to discover the source of their confusion opposed to them simply being confused. I don't feel like it delivered that.

Artistic: Yes. Emotional: Yes. Satisfying: Eh. It's worth a rent, but lower your expectations.