BEFORE: And "Fantasia 2000" is my lead-in to worlds of fantasy, with an emphasis on children's literature. I'll be spending the next few weeks in these other realms, after a brief diversion for a pirate-themed chain.
I have to admit I'm not TOO familiar with the book by Maurice Sendak, but I did see a hilarious two-part interview with the cranky author on "The Colbert Report", so check that out if you get a chance.
Linking from "Fantasia 2000", I don't have too many options, but I'll go from Steve Martin to Catherine O'Hara since they co-starred in the film "A Simple Twist of Fate".
THE PLOT: Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.
AFTER: This seems like it should be cut from the same cloth as "The Wizard of Oz", where a kid imagines a realm full of strange fantasy creatures - but it didn't really come together as a film for me. The reasonings seem to come straight out of a child's brain, and my adult brain demands a more cause-and-effect straightforward narrative, I guess.
I get that Max is having trouble fitting in with other kids, and I get that he's acting up at home due to lack of attention, and jealousy over his mom's boyfriend - but the trip to the fantasy world is supposed to help him work this stuff out, right? And I mostly didn't see much of a connection, except for the igloo in the real world being reflected in the fort that the monsters build.
I just read through some comments online that propose that each monster represents a different part of Max's personality, except for a few who represent people in the real world (much like the farmhands in "Wizard of Oz") but I just didn't pick up on any of that WHILE watching the film. And if a film's symbolism can't be readily grasped, then what's the point of it being there?
I don't know, maybe if I dealt with difficult kids more (or, like, at all) I'd have more appreciation for this. It's funny, I was just talking yesterday with a co-worker about films like "Willow" and "Labyrinth", which are best appreciated by people under a certain age. I loved "Labyrinth" and all things Muppet-related when I was a kid, but I mostly grew out of it. If I were to go back and watch "Labyrinth" now, I'd probably think the puppetry was really cheesy.
They sort of split the difference here - actors wore large suits with some animatronics, and then the faces were computer-generated later to match the voice actors' performances. It looks pretty smooth, but I spent some time during the film wondering how they did it, and that interfered with the enjoyment. Unfortunately, I can't turn that part of my brain off.
Also starring Max Records, Catherine Keener (last seen in "Out of Sight"), Mark Ruffalo (last seen in "The Kids Are All Right"), and the voices of James Gandolfini (last seen in "Crimson Tide"), Lauren Ambrose, Forest Whitaker (last seen in "Phone Booth"), Paul Dano (last seen in "Knight and Day"), Chris Cooper (last seen in "New York, I Love You").
RATING: 3 out of 10 dirt clods
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