Just in case you’re the only person on the interweb who hasn’t seen it yet, the trailer for Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are is 2 minutes 6 seconds of hairy promise and joy:
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It’s hard not to have a few trepidations about this movie, seeing as it has the often unfortunate onus of handling a piece of fiction so integral to many people’s childhoods. We’ve already watched Hollywood too frequently violate (Transformers), embarrass (Inspector Gadget) or befuddle and blue-dong up (Watchmen) our cherished childhood canons; add onto that the months of rumors about re-edits, re-shoots and bad buzz from the studio following poorly received test screenings.
But it is Spike Jonze, after all, and he directed “Sabotage,” dammit, so his cultural cachet still has lots and lots of miles on it. Like Pixar, Gondry or any video game featuring Mario driving a go-kart, he always gets the benefit of the doubt until release.
And the script is by Dave Eggers. And Arcade Fire re-recorded “Wake Up” specifically for the film, with other songs from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Deerhunter allegedly featured in the movie too. It’s like a hot bowl of hipster stew being served up right in your face, people.
I like that the trailer seems to show the movie as an extended examination contrasting the real world and the escapist fantasy one, with hints of alienation and bored roteness driving Max from one to the other.
I’m hopeful Jonze and Eggers will ultimately get the product they wanted to make and that the studio won’t try to second-guess the director’s judgement. Anything else would be sabotage.
Inverted Soapbox 
I don’t know why you doubt Jonze.
And, secondly, I don’t think “Transformers” was “violated” by Michael Bay. I’m certainly not a Michael Bay apologist, but there’s something to be said for the fact that every time the movie is on HBO, I generally watch a good portion of it. He made a movie with high re-watchability. That’s not an easy thing to do. Schwartz will back me up on this.
And I thought “Watchmen” was an admirable adaptation even if the ending was poorly changed. I don’t understand people who completely trashed the movie. I was pretty engaged throughout. And Zak Penn, for his shortcomings, is nothing if not a pretty brilliant visualist. I certainly didn’t consider it “befuddling.”
Schwartz will do no such thing
Oh, c’mon. Reveal your true self! Don’t kowtow to this reckless appraisal of a movie we both know you and I enjoy!
hold strong barry
I couldn’t get through the trailer – and I didn’t even read the book as a kid!