Viewed in
2009
Premise
Based on the children's book, a boy runs away from home and hangs out on an island of monsters.
Who should watch
Spike Jonze fans.
Thoughts
It was an interesting, but okay movie.
From a movie making standpoint, this movie was amazing to watch. When you hear Jim Henson, you expect great puppetry, and the studio delivered. Except for some action scenes, I never saw these characters as puppets, robotics, nor computer graphics. The facial expressions on these enormous and grotesque monsters were fantastic to watch.
The majority of the time, Max Records had to act on his own (yes, they found a kid named Max to play Max). I thought he did an excellent job of carrying the film. Not only was he the lead, but most of the time, he had to act and develop chemistry with non-humans. I believed him as a child trying to deal with loneliness and changes in life out of his hands.
I don't remember the book, so I don't know how well Jonze and company captured the themes or spirit. I admired the ambition, but I think it was stuck in no-man's land between a family and an adult film. It was too dark and ambiguous for kids to understand, but the characters were a too one-dimensional for me to take seriously.
Even though it failed to move me, I was glad the film makers took risks instead of playing safe, and I somewhat recommend it for that reason. The writing could have been better, but the visuals were a sight to behold.
What I would change
I know it's his style, but I would still refrain from using dizzying hand-held camera shots all the time.
