Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak Movie Book #1

After watching this movie with my daughter last night, I have to say that we were both very disappointed.  The book is so magical and honestly, one of my childhood favorites.  However, the movie just did not compare at all!  The story is colorful, mischevious, and the pictures really bring the book to life.  I can definitily see why it received a Caldecott Award.  On the other hand, the movie had a sense of sadness throughout its entireity, and it was quite boring.  The characters were not what I expected them to be, and it was hard to stay focused on the actual storyline because for a children's movie it was dark and depressing.  The book is much better, and story made much more of an impact on my personally.  I would still highly recommend the book for elementary school aged child to read because its all about adventure, fun, make believe, and the start of growing up.  However, I recommend that you leave the movie alone.