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Adapting a beloved children's book into a big-budget movie is a very risky thing. So, when Spike Jonze, director of edgy Adidas commercials, music videos and a couple of quirky features, was tapped to direct an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, there was a good amount of pessimism as to whether he could pull it off.

As it turns out, the result was spectacular. Or a spectacular letdown. Depending on who you ask. Such is often the fate of movies adapted from well-known stories--they can't possibly meet everyone's expectations. One thing is clear, however, Jonze's Wild Things adaptation is not your average kids' movie.

Young fans of the book will recognize Max, the story's protagonist and the creatures he meets on his fantasy voyage to a faraway land, as well as a few snippets of dialogue. The rest of the story, however, is somewhat of a departure. Jonze was reported to have taken inspiration for his dialogue from the films of John Cassavetes, which are anything but kid-friendly. The script, co-written by Dave Eggers, is also brilliant, but dark, complex and more than a little depressing.

The characters themselves, far from the brightly colored and loveable creatures of your average kids' movie, are a bunch of depressive co-dependents, in dysfunctional relationships with each other, trapped in a state of perpetual childhood. It's a lot to take in for anyone, and kids, even given the credit they deserve as intelligent beings, will have trouble making sense of it.

That said, Jonze's film is beautiful from beginning to end, and even if it's not a faithful recreation of the book, it becomes something distinct and noteworthy in its own right. Go see it, and bring the kids if you think they'll get something out of it. Just don't expect Monsters, Inc. This is a whole different story.

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