Where The Wild Things Are

With his big brown eyes and floppy hair, Max is an appealing lad – despite his anger-management issues. So when his sister’s friends destroy his snow igloo, he wreaks revenge by going crazy in her bedroom and, after a debacle with his mother where he sinks his teeth into her arm, Max runs aways, gets into a boat and floats off to a fantasy island inhabited by the Wild Things – a motley crew of attention-seeking beasties, given names like Judith, Douglas and KT, who are also prone to throwing tantrums and having hissy fits.

Based on Maurice Sendak’s iconic picture book of the Sixties, this is a bold yet sensitive adaptation, with a rumbustious hero trying to make sense of his own passionate emotions and manage his frustrations – who meets his match in the unruly world of the Wild Things. The cinematography across the dramatic sand dunes and tundra landscapes lends an artsy feel that echoes the quirky spirit of the original book, while the jingly-jangly soundtrack by Karen O And The Kids provides the perfect musical accompaniment. And, according to reports, Sendak was happy with the end result, which has to be a good thing. 

Cert PG, £15.99 (DVD), £22.99 (BLU-RAY). For further details, www.wherethewildthingsaremovie.co.uk