The Gothic Times

Issue date: 11/25/09 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Warner Bros., 2009

Our hero, a nine-year-old boy named Max, wearing a wolf costume, acts out in fits of savagery. We are introduced to him as he chases his dog with a metal fork.

He growls and tackles the helpless prey as the title, Where the Wild Things Are, is plastered on the screen in a child's whimsical handwriting.

This opening sequence gives viewers a strong indication of the type of film they're in for, an authentic depiction of the awkward and often frustrating nature of growing up.

Disenchanted by strained familial bonds in the all too real world, Max escapes to an imaginary island that's visually stunning and inhabited by whimsical beasts.

Max convinces the na've creatures that he has conquered formidable foes, such as Vikings, and is therefore christened king.

James Gandolfini delivers his best performance since HBO's The Sopranos voicing Max's most cherished and vulnerable furry friend, Carol.

This live-action adaptation of a popular, nine-sentence children's book released in 1963 takes worthy creative liberties in expanding on its timeless artwork.

Director Spike Jonze has managed to capture the essence of the limitless wonderment of a child's mind.

The range of facial emotion conveyed by the wild things (actors in 9-foot foam costumes) through seamless visual effects should captivate wide-eyed kiddies and grown-ups alike.

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