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Australia, Germany, United States · 2009
1h 41m
Director Spike Jonze
Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener, Lauren Ambrose, Ryan Corr
Genre Drama, Family, Fantasy, Science Fiction
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Max, a lonely pre-teen, imagines running away from his mom and sailing to a far-off land where large talking beasts -- Ira, Carol, Douglas, the Bull, Judith, and Alexander -- play rumpus, build forts, discover secret hideaways, and crown him as their king.
I have a vision of eight-year-olds leaving the movie in bewilderment. Why are the creatures so unhappy? That question doesn’t return a child to safety or anywhere else. Of one thing I am sure: children will be relieved when Max gets away from this anxious crew.
New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein
For all the artfulness, the feel of the film is rough-hewn, almost primitive. It’s a fabulous tree house of a movie.
Wild Things isn't overlong, but it is underwhelming.
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
The result is an involving experience for all but the most fidgety children and an opportunity for parents to enjoy (rather than endure) a motion picture with their offspring.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Joe Williams
To their credit, the creative team has retained the handmade look and unruly spirit of Maurice Sendak's bedtime fable; to their discredit, they haven't added enough narrative or emotional dimension to make it an effective movie.
The true soulfulness of Sendak’s parable never emerges.
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
Where the film falters is Jonze and novelist Dave Eggers' adaptation, which fails to invest this world with strong emotions.
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
This is one of the year's best. To paraphrase the Wild Thing named KW, I could eat it up, I love it so.
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
The movie felt long to me, and there were some stretches during which I was less than riveted. Is it possible that there wasn't enough Sendak story to justify a feature-length film?
Director Spike Jonze's sharp instincts and vibrant visual style can't quite compensate for the lack of narrative eventfulness that increasingly bogs down this bright-minded picture.
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