"Happiness isn't always the best way to be happy"

 

When I saw the preview for Where the Wild Things Are I was over joyed. It just looked so...so...enchanting. I loved the book as an adult (actually it scared me a little as a kid) and my kids loved it, too. I talked to a few friends who saw it with their children and they gave me very mixed up reviews. "Wasn't like the book, scary, disturbing..." Anyhow, I wasn't sure what to think about before we headed out today.

Let me just say, that we just got back from taking my girls and my nieces to see it and I LOVED IT! Yes, from a kids perspective it could be a little scary, a little daunting and maybe to us (read: parents) it seems like Max is showing them to be misbehaved. I mean, yes, it showed Max acting out (um, did you read the book? He was WILD) and biting his mom and feeling overwhelmed in an adult world. But it also showed how his and the monsters actions and reactions have consequences. It gave the flip side to hurting someone's feelings.  And like the poster says there's a monster in each of us. As a movie it could exaggerate all of those to demonstrate a point and a beautiful story.

Also, I felt like I was watching a story about my sweet, creative Bella. Max's room- her room. Max's dreams and inventions- hers, too. How he felt hurt by the big kids, let down by his sister, misunderstood....check, check, check!

The monsters and scenery and everything was done incredibly. The music was amazing (must buy it). I looked over at B and she had tears in her eyes ( I might have cried a little, too).

"It's going to be a place where only the things you want to happen, would happen."       Carol, a Wild Thing

At the end, I asked everyone how they liked it, from ages 11 to 6 they all said it was great. Z, my scaredy-cat, said the monsters weren't scary (that was surprising coming from her). So I say take your school-age and up kids to see it, or go by yourself. It is worth it!