Finally saw "Where The Wild Things Are!"

A loyal "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE" fan.

So after many long months of waiting to see this movie, I finally got a chance to go see a matinee of "Where the Wild Things Are" this week with my daughter and her Brownie Troop.

(But, for the record:  I've been eagerly awaiting seeing this movie for months: Click here for my former post .)

This week she and her fellow third grader girl buddies all got a full tour of the cinema. They went up to the projection room, each received their own box of popcorn and drink, and to top it all off, each got a "Wild Things" paper crown to wear! Not too shabby, for your average Brownie field trip!

I was really excited because I knew this would be a great opportunity to get a broader perspective on how others liked the film.

Note* Unfortunately, I don't have a photo here of the girls sitting in a row in their Brownie vests and paper crowns, but you'll just have to take my word that it was pretty adorable.

So, what did the kids think of the movie?

They liked it. Really.

To be honest, I had my doubts about it, at times, but now I'm thinking it might be due to just thinking too much.

However, the kids were never bored, just perhaps occasionally perplexed, I think, by the rambling nature of the plot. I mean, there were times when I had no idea what was going on (when they were smashing the stick houses, among other monster-related activities)

I do think that while many are calling this a "kids" movie, I think more specifically it is a "boy's movie."

There were a lot of moments of bonding over rough-house play and dirt clod fights. I was a little confused about all the joy derived from destroying things. I'm going to generalize here, but I'm not sure that most girls have quite the same impulse control issues that both Max and Carol had. But, that's because I'm such a girl, I guess.

Did I like it? Yeah, I did like it.

But did I love it? No, not really. Not like I love the book. Which, I realize isn't fair at all, but it's the truth. I wanted a bit more joy, I think.

I wish I did love it, but the truth is I found my attention wandering at times. And I feel so guilty saying that, but honestly, I found it kind of dull now and then. And, believe me, I had high hopes for this film. Nobody wanted this film to fly more than I did.

I thought the special effects were great, and really creative. They were very realistic monsters. Very imaginative re-telling of the very short children's book, but, I think, what bothered me the most was how melancholy it was for a children's movie. It was sad. Even the scenery and costumes were in sepia tones. I thought the cinematography was all a bit too drab, for lack of a better word, for a successful children's movie. But, hey? What do I know?

I fully expected that once the fantasy really began at the monster island, for instance, once Max felt safe with them, that perhaps all those sepia tones might then slowly start to brighten and inevitably become more colorful. I kept expecting more green tones to materialize within Carol's striped fur. I was sure that as soon as Max and Carol hit it off that the world would become more "colorful," literally, a la Wizard of Oz, but, nope. It was still brown and grey and darkish.

I also thought that the monster soap-opera was just a bit too confusing to follow and I cringed with fear when I heard things about "cutting your brains out and eat them," or other lines like,"Good! Then, I won't have to bite my feet off." I think it's really important to remember that what is on a huge screen in a dark theater is really going to hit impressionable kids in a big way, so there were a few moments when I waited for my eight year old to bury her head in my arm. Actually, she did so, on occasion, but these were moments passed quickly. And there was no request to go to the lobby, which is how I spent many another "kid's movie" with her.

I did have some concerns that the anger and imagery may be upsetting to the kids we brought...But, hello? They didn't mind a bit. Not one bit. Guess the Grimms Bros. were right: Creepy works in children's stories, sometimes.

I do want to mention one total "girl moment" in the film.

It was when a giant chorus of girl's voices in the audience said "Ewwwwww!" all at once as Max was pulled out of KW's mouth all slimy from spit. See, the boys didn't mind, but all the girls were horrified.

And the end was really sad. Really, really sad...Max's top monster pal is heartbroken Max leaves the island and the weeping monsters watching Max sail out of view was so sad....I was sure this wouldn't go down well with our Brownie troop, especially since I heard sniffling...but, I was wrong, they liked that, too.

Lights came up. The kids were transfixed on the rolling credits and I asked them, trying hard not to betray my own feelings, "So, girls, how did you like the movie?"

Across the board I heard a chorus of "I liked it!" "Yeah, it was good. Kind of sad, but it was really good."

I later on asked the moms if they liked it, and they said the same thing. Nobody elaborated much, but across the board this is what I heard.

So, I've decided that I must be thinking way too much to enjoy a kid's movie, and that since the film really was supposed to be for kids, that I should respect that his intended audience seems to have embraced it.

So, I now tip my hat to Spike Jonze who took this wonderful book and translated it into a far lengthier film so creatively, while not losing the integrity of the book's message.

I learned that I should stop being so over-protective and trust that our smaller generation is entirely capable of enduring difficult moments that aren't as safe or happy as we parents would like them to be.

It was a surprisingly reassuring journey to go on with both Max and our Brownies.

I learned that children are capable of landing on their feet in all sorts of creative ways in order to embrace and celebrate their own Wild Rumpus. And that we need to have faith in our limitless ability to seek joy in the most unlikely of times and places.

We like books.

We even like some of the same books
that mommy liked when she was their age.