DVD Corner

Where The Wild Things Are Blu-ray Review

The long-awaited theatrical version of “Where The Wild Things Are” is definitely not as good as the book.

Grades:

Content: C

Picture: A-

Audio: A-

Extras: A-

Based on Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book, “Where The Wild Things Are” revolves around a lonely 9 year old boy named Max who escapes to an island where he becomes the king of a group of monsters. From there on out, Max learns that being a king is easier said than done.

Visually, the film is spot on. Director Spike Jonze and the entire crew did a tremendous job in bringing the the setting, monsters and Max come to life. Unfortunately, that’s all ‘Wild’ really has going for it. Like other really short children’s stories turned into films (such as “The Cat In The Hat”), ‘Wild’ suffers from needless additions and meandering filler (such as virtually all of the middle act). Granted, the script has a lot of poignant messages/themes about being a child, but for me personally, the artistic adult approach to the story ruins the simplicity and magic of the book I cherished as a child. The movie is, quite simply, not very fun.

Another aspect that bothered me was the distracting music by Karen O. I know I’m not alone in wishing they used the catchy Arcade Fire music that was featured in the trailer instead.

Summary: Since the reactions to “Where The Wild Things Are” have been all over the place, I would suggest giving it a rent. You may love it, you may hate it, or you might be disappointed like I was.

The 2.4:1 1080p picture quality is nice. This is a fine transfer that handles both the bright and dark scenes very well.

The 5.1 DTS-HD audio track is top notch. The dialogue, music and sound f/x are as clear as can be.

Extras:
* DVD/Digital Copy.
* Warner trailers.
* HBO First Look featurette,
* The real treat here is a visually stunning live-action/animated short adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s book about a dog titled “Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More To Life”.
* “Maurice And Spike”- Conversations with (and between) author Maurice Sendak and director Spike Jonze.
* Max And Spike- A featurette on actor Max Records and director Spike Jonze and their time on set.
* “The Records Family”- A featurette about how Max Records was casted.

* “Carter Burwell”- A featurette on the music composer.
* “The Absurd Difficulty Of Filming A Dog Running And Barking At The Same Time”- Self-explanitory.
* “The Big Prank”- A featurette on a prank played on director Spike Jonze.
* “Vampire Attack”- A short film of sorts with Max Records and Spike Jonze.

* “The Kids Take Over The Picture”- A featurette with the kids on set.

March 1, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 1 | Where The Wild Things Are Blu-ray Review