Lonely, energetic nine-year-old Max (played by newcomer Max Records) is running his single mum Connie (Keener) ragged. When a visit from her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) sends Max into another rage, his actions lead to a severe scolding that causes him to flee the family house. Jumping into a sail boat, Max heads out across treacherous seas until he happens across a remote, mysterious island. Exploring, Max meets a group of terrifying monsters on a highly destructive rampage. When the creatures contemplate eating their visitor, Max manages to convince them, including temperamental leader Carol (Gandolfini), that he is, in fact, their king and the possessor of magical powers. Hailed as the one who will bring cohesion to their bickering group, Max runs wild with his new friends, but as they begin to question his right to be their king, the boy's thoughts turn to his mother and the life he left behind.
Adapted from Maurice Sendak's wonderfully effective children's book, Where the Wild Things Are puts flesh on the bones of the slight story without ever losing its sense of wonder. About as far removed from your average kids' blockbuster as it's possible to be, Where The Wild Things Are is Jonze's paean to lost and confusing youth and as artfully created as any grown-up movie in recent memory.
Filmed with a laudable emphasis on physical incamera action, rather than CGI trickery, Jonze's film nevertheless makes exemplary and unobtrusive use of digital technology in the creation of the Wild Things' faces, perfectly grafted onto real monster-size bodysuits. With the excellent voice cast, especially Gandolfini's truculent turn, adding a compelling amount of depth to the monsters, this is a first-class adaptation that keeps the spirit of the original alive without being afraid to innovate.
Where the Wild Things Are is a Film programme that first aired in 2009 and has been classified a PG certificate.
