I was a bit wary about seeing this movie, but tried not to let that tinge my massive excitement.  This book was such a huge part of my childhood; it’s images are burned into my brain and the feelings that I had when reading this book come flooding back to me at the thought of those haunting illustrations. After I heard that Maurice Sendak was directly involved in the film adaptation of his beloved 10 sentence childrens’ book and asked director Spike Jonze to “make it his own”, I was hooked and determined to be there opening weekend.

I was there opening weekend.  The delay in this review is due to my overall disappointment.  I wanted the feeling of dread and excitement that I got from the book.  Instead I got feelings of depression and melancholy with occasional moments of terror lite.  The monsters have been given names and personalities, many of which fit their appearance perfectly. What I liked about the film was the visual aspect.  It was beautifully translated from the page to the screen, and Jonze’s insistence that the monsters remain actors in costume definitely pays off.  Due to technical issues, the costumes remain in the movie, but the faces of the monsters are animated. And I was impressed by the voice cast involved in the film, including James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Dano.

I thought the movie would be more hopeful and fun.  It ended up being a look at what it’s like to be a child and the turmoil experienced through growing up at the mercy of the adults around you.  Max runs off to discover that his best traits can be balanced against his worst in an effort to live with the ones he loves.  The movie was touching, but it’s not a childrens’ movie.  It’s a movie about being a child, and that’s an important distinction.

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