Let the wild rumpus start!

(Image from Hunt Famous)

When I was a kid, Where the Wild Things Are was my favorite book. According to my mom, I brought it home from the library several times before she finally broke down and bought me a copy. Unfortunately, she did not enjoy Maurice Sendak's classic as much as I did. She found the illustrations scary, and couldn't understand why her five-year-old daughter loved a book filled with such "creepy" monsters. Whenever I wanted WTWTA read to me, she'd suggest I ask my dad, who fortunately found reading it to be a fun experience.

Time eventually changed Mom and Dad's perspective of the book. Mom eventually sat down to really read it, and now loves it. Dad has completely forgotten he ever read WTWTA to me, and cannot remember a single thing about the book (to be fair, the last time he cracked it's cover was close to 20 years ago). Which is why I saw the movie with my mom while dad was at work.

(Image from Movie Crunch)

Here's my short review:
The Where the Wild Things Are movie is a beautiful adaption of a classic children's book, though it is definitely not for kids. There's no language or sex, and minimal violence, but the themes of loneliness and feeling life is beyond your control will likely be lost on younger viewers. Which is funny, because these concepts are exactly the sort of thing kids need to be reassured about. What child hasn't felt lonely at some point growing up, even when surrounded by people who love them? What kid doesn't act out at a situation beyond their control? WTWTA speaks to those kids, though they may not realize it until they're a bit older.