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Where the Wild Things Are

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Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

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Reviews Counted:37

Fresh:25

Rotten:12

Average Rating:6.5/10

Consensus: Some may find its dark tone and slender narrative off-putting, but Spike Jonze's heartfelt adaptation of the classic children's book is as beautiful as it is uncompromising.

Australian Rating: TBC

Genre: Childrens

Australian Theatrical Release:
Dec 10, 2009 Wide

US Box Office: $74,665,359

Synopsis: Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in “Where the Wild Things Are,” a classic... Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in “Where the Wild Things Are,” a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in. The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought. --© Warner Bros [More]

Starring: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener

Starring: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Catherine O'Hara, Max Records, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper

Director: Spike Jonze

Director: Spike Jonze
Screenwriter: Dave Eggers, Spike Jonze
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

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    Maurice and Spike
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    Trailer #2
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    "All Is Love" TV Spot
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  • What's Your Story
    >
    Did You Know The Sun Is Going To Die
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    Dirt Clod Fight
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    I Like How You Destroy Stuff
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  • This Is Our Family
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    Kids Take Over
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    Max and Spike
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    Max and Catherine
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1 - 4 of 12

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Reviews for Where the Wild Things Are

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1 - 10 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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This film is not for me, but I do recognise its accomplishments and see how it appeals to the fan base, and how the young Max's journey connects with youngsters

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/28/09
Andrew L. Urban
Andrew L. Urban
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A wildly mixed bag. With its mix of live action, computer animation and puppetry, there is plenty that is wonderful, yet there are some irritating aspects. Like the manic hand-held camera. However, young Max Records' performance is sensational

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/28/09
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
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[Jonze has] achieved with the cinematic medium what Sendak did with words and pictures: He's grasped something true and terrifying about love at its most unconditional and voracious.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
10/16/09
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
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Where the Wild Things Are is a fiercely innovative film with surprising texture and nuance. It captures the joy and exuberance of childhood without shying away from its very real pains and woes.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
10/15/09
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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Where the Wild Things Are honors the book in every imaginable way, and in ways no one could have imagined until Spike Jonze and his collaborators came along.

Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal | comment 1 Comment
10/15/09
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
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Sometimes you are better off with 10 sentences than tens of millions of dollars, and this is one of those times.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment 9 Comments
10/15/09
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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Where the Wild Things Are is an alternately perfect and imperfect if always beautiful adaptation of the Maurice Sendak children’s book.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
10/15/09
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
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The plot is simple stuff, spread fairly thin in terms of events but portentous in terms of meaning. It comes down to: What is right? -- a question that children often seek answers to.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 2 Comments
10/15/09
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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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.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 11 Comments
10/12/09
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
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I have a vision of eight-year-olds leaving the movie in bewilderment. Why are the creatures so unhappy?

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment 39 Comments
10/12/09
David Denby
David Denby
New Yorker
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1 - 10 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Where the Wild Things Are

November 22, 2009: Win A Signed Where the Wild Things Are Poster
It's one of 2009's most anticipated films -- director Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's kids' classic, Where the Wild Things Are -- and it's almost, at long last,... More...

October 18, 2009: Box Office Guru Wrapup: Audiences Eat Up Wild Things
Three new releases hit the multiplexes while one indie sensation expands nationally hoping to strike gold and shake up the establishment. Leading the charge is the family film... More...

October 15, 2009: Critics Consensus: Where the Wild Things Are Is A Wild Rumpus
This week, we've got a wild rumpus (Where the Wild Things Are, starring Max Records and Catherine Keener), a legal skirmish (Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard... More...

October 08, 2009: Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze's oft-delayed kiddies movie finally makes it to the big screen! Opens in new window
More...

See All

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