Where the Wild Things Are

 Where the Wild Things Are, a classic children’s book by Maurice Sendak. It tells a story about Max, a boy, who gets into a fight with his mom, and is, sent up to his room for the night. Then Max goes on a fantastical adventure in to the land of the Wild Things. There he makes them believe that he is their King, while there they play, but Max sends them to bed without supper. Max then misses his mom and wants to return home. The Wild Things didn’t want that though, and tried to make Max stay, but alas Max still leaves despite this. Once ‘home’ Max wakes up from his dream, to find his dinner on a table, symbolizing that Max and his Mom are okay, despite their fight.

The premise to the Movie, Where the Wild Things Are, is rather the same. Max is feeling lonely because his sister won’t play with him, and his mom is stressed from work and her love life. So when asked to call his sister down for dinner, a fight between Max and his mom escalated to the point where Max runs away. While Max is running away from his home, we hear Max’s mom calling Max back home, but he still runs anyways. While he is running he finds a boat, and hops in. This boat takes Max down to the Wild Things. When we first arrive on their land, we find Carol, one of the wild things’ destroying huts and arguing with the other wild things. Max trying to fit in with the Wild Things, attempts to destroy a hut. Soon Max is spinning this web of lies, saying things like how he’s a king and has magic powers and defeated armies. ‘Cause of this, the Wild Things accept Max as a king. During Max’s time as king he tries to make Carol’s dreams come true, and bring the Wild Thing’s closer together. Soon the Wild Things start to see through Max’s web of lies, and he decides to leave. So Max once more loads himself onto the boat, and sails back to where he ran away to. Max runs straight home, and when he comes home, his mom and him hug. Max’s mom also pulls down Max’s animal hood, as a symbol, saying ‘Your just Max and I love that’.

The movie did its job and represented the book; bringing the characters to life and teaching a lesson. The movie took a lot of creative liberty through the story. The creative liberty started by creating a sister for Max, allowing Max to run away, or giving the Wild Things personal problems. Normally I don’t like creative liberties in adaptations, but in this case I felt that the liberties allowed the story to move on, and create a since of sorrow for Max. This would have been one short-short-short movie, had they literally word for word recreated the children’s book. Over all I thought the plot music and CGI’s were done very well. It taught me a lesion, to be yourself and tell the truth, as lies can only get you into trouble. Over all, a very successful book, and equally successful movie, five stars.