Preview: Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Synopsis:

Adapted from Maurice Sendak's popular children's novel, the film is the story of a boy almost divorced from the world around him who learns to express and explore himself in an imaginary world of monstrous beasts.

• Poster: B-

Review:

An interesting poster at once displaying the stylized nature of Spike Jonze's film and inhabiting the childlike qualities the story espouses. It's a bit dull and not that likely to bring kids to the theater, but as a piece of art, it is more than satisfactory.

• Trailer: B-; B-

Review:

While I can't say the trailer itself excites me, the imagery is interesting and seeing what Spike Jonze can do with a children's fantasy should be enough to draw in a relatively sizable audience.

If there's much that's changed since the first trailer, I didn't notice it. It looks enitrely the same with the same music, the same images and the same intertitles. So, why is there a new trailer? Your guess is as good as mine.

Oscar Prospects:

Adaptations of children's novels are seldom prime fodder for Oscar consideration, but it's quite possible the film could end up with Art Direction and/or Costume Design nominations, but is unlikely to achieve much else.

Release Date:

• October 16, 2009

Full Review Synopsis:

Exploring the mind of an angry little boy, Where the Wild Things Are is an psychological exploratory fantasy of intriguing depth.

• Full Review: Where the Wild Things Are

-Wesley Lovell (April 12, 2009) Original

-Wesley Lovell (June 7, 2009) New Poster; Buy the Poster Enabled

-Wesley Lovell (July 26, 2009) New Trailer

-Wesley Lovell (April 4, 2010) Added Review Link