Pinch me. I must be hallucinating. A truly great movie, the Spike Jonze film of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, hit the box-office No. One spot, a space usually reserved for the wretched likes of Couples Retreat or the violently stupid Law Abiding Citizen, which had to settle for runner-up status. How did quality win out?
Maybe Sendak's classic tale of childhood lured in the family trade. But were the tykes horrified at the rebel approach Jonze takes to movies — dump the linear plot, let visuals tell the story and don't be afraid of the dark? We'll find out next week when Wild Things holds steady or tumbles in the heat of parental indignation. Either way Jonze made a movie that honors the source and his own reputation as an innovator in such films as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. The $32.5 million pulled in by Wild Things is a Jonze opening record.
Today's question relates to kids movies that grown-ups might like just as much or better. Where the Wild Things Are certainly ranks high on my list. But the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with Gene Wilder as the Candy Man, is also a personal favorite for the deliciously twisted. And this year's 3-D Coraline, from Neil Gaiman's book about an alternative parental universe, could give pause to impressionables of all ages. Ditto Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. And who recalls Jim Henson's chilling Labyrinth with a wonderfully creepy David Bowie as King of the Goblins?
What's your favorite kid movie that might give kids the heebie-jeebies? Where the Wild Things Are might just whet their appetites.
More Wild Things:
• Travers Take: Peter Travers' Four-Star Review
• Exclusive Video: Behind the Scenes of the Movie's Stunning Effects
• Maurice Sendak, King of All Wild Things: The 1976 Rolling Stone Profile
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Orlock | October 28, 2009 11:50 PM
Children of The Lost City
David | October 26, 2009 2:18 AM
....also Hook, I love it, I don't care what critics say.
David | October 26, 2009 2:13 AM
-Beauty & The Beast (Jean Cocteau)
-The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
-Witches
-Strings (very underrated 2004 Danish film in the vein of Dark Crystal)
-Dark Crystal
Mike | October 22, 2009 4:40 PM
Personally, the two best, and surprisingly complex, American films this year have been children's movies. "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Up" have just about saved the movies this year thus far, as far as big-budget fare. And last year, who could truly argue against WALL-E being one of the best films (if not the best) of the year. They may be made for kids, but a great kid's movie is, simply put, just a great movie.
Scared | October 22, 2009 12:11 PM
Babe: Pig in the City...one word NIGHTMARES!
Bobby | October 22, 2009 12:08 PM
Where The Wild Things Are was genius. Every bit was preconceived which was genius. Jonze read the book and said "These wild things are in Max's head, but why don't they broadcast any of his emotions and thoughts" and boom -- now they do. Not really for kids though, I get that.
Mark | October 22, 2009 11:29 AM
Time Bandits is my favorite. Lessons on good and evil and free will, including a god that seems aloof about the whole matter. Plus, his parents blow up in the end. They'd never get away with that ending now.
Dub | October 22, 2009 10:38 AM
"City of lost Children" and "The Wizard of Oz"
depressing | October 22, 2009 10:12 AM
the disney animated version of hunchback of notre dame. hands down.
Weffie | October 22, 2009 12:39 AM
Actually I hated the Wild Things. It was trying too hard to be profound, plus it ruined a perfectly good book by being so dark, depressing and neurotic. There was one good lesson at the end, but there was also a disturbing message - that it's OK to be a jerk to your loved ones.
jmartypants | October 21, 2009 11:47 PM
Return to Oz freaked the crap out of me. As did The Neverending Story.
Ethan | October 21, 2009 8:46 PM
Where The Wild Things Are WAS an incredible film, but I realized it did not fit everyone's tastes. I happened to see it in a theater chock full of little kids and they didn't really seem to get it. My two little brothers loved it, but they are both at least 11. The rest of the kids were just loud and obnoxious (KICKIN' MAH SEAT!) because I think they grew bored of the movie. It was very unfortunate that the kids didn't like it but I heavily enjoyed it.
As for dark children's films, I didn't particularly enjoy The Dark Crystal, but I do love The Nightmare Before Christmas. Willy Wonka doesn't strike me as an incredibly dark film (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, however, does) but it is still one of my favorite children's films.
Emily | October 21, 2009 8:15 PM
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland used to really freak me out...and the Dark Crystal
Nope.com | October 21, 2009 6:50 PM
Time bandits is the worst movie. good lord is it boring.
Taylor | October 21, 2009 6:10 PM
Hands down "Return to Oz." Creepy "Wheelers." Dorothy in an insane asylum. An evil queen who swaps out her heads?! Oh yeah, definitely creepy.
Rusty Nails | October 21, 2009 10:39 AM
The Dark Crystal still freaks me out, and lets be honest The Neverending Story was quite a handfull too. Then there's The BFG by Dahl which had it's child friendly moments, but was laced with alot of trippy style. And just to add - Peter Travers has never been wrong in my book.
John | October 21, 2009 9:02 AM
Hey Michele,why don't you keep your mouth closed and stop telling the whole world how the end of the movie turns out.It's like telling someone how their book's going to end before they even read it.
Mitchell | October 21, 2009 6:45 AM
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - the original. That Children Catcher by far the most scary of all my childhood memory films. "Children come get your lollipops...all free today."
Julian | October 21, 2009 3:51 AM
Wizard of Oz for sure. This movie was dark, but all things considering, Wizard of Oz was much darker. I loved Wild Things, by the way. Good call on the Iron Giant; cold war sub-text - that's quite dark.
Nedme | October 20, 2009 11:35 PM
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory - absolutely. No Kids movie ever had more levels. Time Bandits is a nice choice, too as is Labyrinth. But Wild Things really does do something no other film has done: portray how scary it can be to a kid sometimes.
Andres Castano | October 20, 2009 7:11 PM
This film is a towerring acivement that is so far and by far the mast incredible picture of the year(aside of another great film up). If the film flunks it shows how people in this country have become worse than stupid they can no longer understand art they rather see crap like transformers over a visionary triumph.
Michele | October 20, 2009 7:06 PM
Great movie - it wasn't until near the end of the movie that it became clear what was going on:
Carroll was Max's father, KW was his mother, the two owls were Max and his sister. He was replaying what happened at home. Carroll had a very adult voice, but in choosing James Galdofini, the filmmakers purposefully chose someone whose voice portrays a strage mixture of confusion, friendliness, and rage. Lauren Ambrose's voice is very similar to Catherine Keener's (I noticed this even before I figured out the metamessage of the movie), the two owls, as the children, were virtually voiceless, as most children are. Finally, Max literally crawls back into his mother (KW) to get away from his enraged father - this is when the message is revealed: the family you have is the family you have. One other thing: at the end of the movie, Max looks noticably older than at the end. He lost his innocence, but traded it for a deeper understanding of the world, and with it, a newfound compassion.
Czikk | October 20, 2009 4:15 PM
Easily "The Iron Giant" or "Antz".
Both were movies that had a timeless theme to them that made them entertaining for kids, but I would argue that both have much more in them for the parents who accompany. And while neither of these are particularly frightening for kids through and through, the motives explored in both films can be related to better by open-minded adults.
Joe | October 20, 2009 10:26 AM
All the above picks are good, but none top "The Wizard of Oz". Great creepiness factor with Margaret Hamilton playing one of the great screen villains.
the REAL tc | October 20, 2009 8:35 AM
Most films do drop off in box office after the first week. Does not mean it isn't a GREAT film. Where The Wild Things Are will become a classic in the coming years. Best film i've seen since The Dark Knight.
hdbngr63 | October 20, 2009 2:13 AM
James and the Giant Peach and Nightmare Before Christmas FTW, as well as Wallace and Grommit
Zombiepumpkin | October 19, 2009 7:18 PM
The Witches was wicked fun. Also, Gilliam's Time Bandits is a fave with my kids.
Straight Talker | October 19, 2009 6:56 PM
I am sorry but I have a feeling that this movie is going to take a huge dive next week. As great as this film was, it should have done better and I am sure minorities hate it.
harold potter | October 19, 2009 6:14 PM
it's not that weird that it was number one. they have been promoting it for like five years now.
Season Harper-Fox | October 19, 2009 5:46 PM
The Dark Crystal (Jim Henson; Frank Oz) comes to mind. I'm not altogether certain they geared it toward kids, but it's got some good creep-out scenes.