WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

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25 November 2009

Releases 11 December

This long-awaited film adaptation of the classic children's book is bound to be a sure-fire hit this Christmas.

Spike Jonze, the lauded director of cult hit Being John Malkovich, teamed up with literary sensation Dave Eggers to create the screenplay for this tale of childhood rebellion and imagination. It's a carefully crafted story about a young boy's desire to express his individuality and explore the infinite possibilities of his imagination.

From the confines of his bedroom he creates a magical world of mythical beasts that live in a foreign land. But all is not what it seems and Max learns a harsh lesson about the constraints of his own capabilities. He declares himself king of the wild things but is unable to control the beasts and must return to the safety and sanctuary of his bedroom.

Where the Wild Things Are has been the bedtime story of choice for children since it was first published back in 1963 and it remains as popular today as it was then. Maurice Sendak created a believable world in his rich, flowing text.

The structure of the book and the poetic rhythm takes some mastering in order to get the full impact of the story but once the pace has been timed to perfection, it's a thrilling read that transports children right into Max's world.
It's a difficult task to transform a short story book into a feature-length film whilst retaining the purity and essence of the tale. Jonze has clearly understood the author's intentions and the film certainly feels like the story in terms of the themes it explores and the emotions that are conveyed.

In just a few carefully chosen words, Maurice Sendak managed to perfectly communicate the frustrations and pent-up feelings of a young child. Children must be able to identify with the characters in their books and films as this helps them to relate stories to their own limited experiences of the world.

A good adaptation will encapsulate the magic and simplicity of a well-told story and this is certainly achieved in Where the Wild Things Are.
Max is instantly recognisable as the boy from the book, whilst the settings are dutifully replicated in minute detail and are based on the original illustrations. It's plain to see that a great deal of care has been taken to stay true to the original, a point that is absolutely essential when adapting a children's book.

Adults appreciate the complexities and difficulties of translating the page onto the screen: children want to see exactly what was read to them and carbon copies of the images that they have dreamt up in their own imagination. If those are the success ratings, then this film scores highly.

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