Friday, October 16, 2009
Where The Wild Things Are
I wanted to like this movie. I have very fond memories of the book as a child. But I wasn't dying to see it for some reason. And after seeing it tonight I must say, I'm still rather indifferent. As I look over Rotten Tomatoes reviews I see critiques like "more admirable than enjoyable" "needs work in the pacing department" "mopey, withdrawn" and "low on thrills" and unfortunately, I have to agree with all of that. I was bored. Here you have these amazing creatures and a wealth of possibilities. There is a chance for incredibly imaginative, thrilling storytelling and I didn't feel any of that. I didn't hate it. Thematically, the story is rich with lessons for kids seeing how their selfish desire to have life their way all the time destroys a family. And cinematically it's stunning. What it lacked was wildness. I just found myself waiting to be entertained, to be dazzled, to be overwhelmed, to be moved... and I wasn't. It certainly wasn't a desecration of the book by any means. Visually it couldn't have been more well done. But I do feel it was a missed opportunity when it came to being engaging.
