
More after the jump...
It's difficult to find a place to begin. Records is Max; he is a gem of a little actor and creates this emotional core that is relatable to everyone. His characterization receives a tremendous boost by cinematographer, Lance Acord, who follows Max with tight hand held shots to capture the energy bounding out of our midget king of the Wild Things. But Acord outdoes himself at every turn by capturing the majesty of the island of the wild things, from the dark scary forests to the beautiful sunsets on the beach.
And the wild things! Oh man are they amazing. Jim Henson’s puppetry combined with modern CGI should become the standard for every special effect creature for the rest of time. Not once do you feel like you are being tricked by a computer, and you will never tire of marveling at how spectacular these creatures are. All of the voice actors really shine, but James Gandolfini as Carol actually had me choked up at one point.
The script is pretty spot on, with a worthy argument of it being sometimes a little slow for the young’uns. But having Max deal with so many childish aspects of himself, represented in each wild thing, only to rise above and be the grownup was a stroke of genius. The tearful goodbye at the end isn't just Max saying goodbye to his friends, it's him growing up and saying goodbye to youth. It could not have seemed more heartbreaking. The Karen O. and the Kids soundtrack is also haunting and wonderful.
Prepare yourself, though; this movie is weird and layered. It's not just a kids’ film—it’s an auteur taking on mainstream media to basically make an independent art movie, and it's beautiful. If you're taking the kiddies, brace yourself, this is a spooky, challenging, bizarre picture for them, but it's also a marvelous and rewarding one.
--Greg MacLennan