Synopsis: An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.I think there are really 2 ways to look at this movie.
1) As simply a children's story
2) A much deeper film about the psyche of a child
If you have a child who wants to see it you'll want to treat it as option #1 I guess, although it's a bit dark for that even. As an adult viewing it I think it works more as a complex and poignant journey into a child's mind. Trying to figure out if the monsters Max creates are supposed to represent his ID, Ego and Subconscious or if each monster represents someone or something going on in his life is very interesting. I like to think it's a little of both, but it's definitely open for interpretation. At times I think Carol is the wild Max, Judith is him Mom and KW is his sister and others represent various other people or parts of his mind. I don't know that it's ever really defined who exactly is what or who, although some will claim they know. I'm guessing only Sendak really knows, and the movie varies enough from the book that director Spike Jones may have a slightly different vision himself.
Regardless, I could go on for days about that aspect of the film and that's a good enough reason to watch it. It's a very symbolic story about an imaginative, lonely boy who escapes the real world and finds the same issues in his own world he's created.
Visually it's stunning, with awesome images and top-notch special effects. It's quite odd at times perhaps (ya think?) and was actually a little slow moving too often, enough that a lot of smaller children might be turned off. It can be a bit wordy for a children's movie for sure.
In the end I found it a beautiful, charming, quirky and heartfelt film that is pretty memorable.
7/10
