Dub, you're onto something when you note how Max's very presence among the wild things is what exacerbates the brewing tensions between them. I further agree that this realization was largely behind his decision to leave for home, as things were rough with his sand-blooded pals at first, but he handled the pressure well. It takes a tough kid to look up into faces that could (and do) swallow him whole, and want to not only befriend them, but be their king. That blind willingness to set aside fear in favor of awe and cooperation is what makes children special; its a quality more adults should share when dealing with their own issues.

So everyone got all excited when word came out that Spike Jonze was getting a hold of Maurice Sendak's timeless kid's book "Where the Wild Things Are." I must admit that I was among that group of people. My parents read the book to me when I was a kid, and I remember being absolutely stoked to find out they'd be making it into a movie.

There are many things about the film that Jonze got right. He found a cute enough kid, the CGI beasties are surprisingly belivable as living creatures, the music is fabulous in that indie sort of way, and even the movie's earthy color palette does an excellent job of informing its heavy, brooding tone.