for me, this movie truly captured the book, while also bringing Max and the Wild Things characters amazingly great depth that just doesn't have room to exist in the short kid's book. Max's journey is awesome, the whole film is spot on a celebration of imagination, and the big emotional payoff is there, it's easy to feel. that being said, i was still somewhat bored by the 2nd half of the film. maybe that's simply because i knew where it was going, but i would suggest it was the far too quick and drastic change in tone that the film took near the end of the 2nd act.
I still enjoyed it, visually it is beyond stunning. i applaud spike jonze for not going the CGI route, but honestly i feel like the film is being hyped far, far too much. it's a great older kid's movie, and great for fans of the book, but if you don't like creative, imaginative films, there is no way you could enjoy this. it's the kind of movie that stays with you when you leave the theater though, i feel like i've just seen a classic that will be shown on tv for years to come.
as in, who says john mayer is a pot head?
http://johnmayer.com/whosays/
i love the sound, but the topic... not so much.