I was worried about Where The Wild Things Are. I thought it might be ill with a terrible, often fatal disease. This disease has many names, but I call it “Perfect Trailer Syndrome”. It’s an unfortunate sickness that befalls the efforts of many a filmmaker, where a short version of their film, lasting a couple of minutes and usually set to an amazing soundtrack, so totally encapsulates the feeling of their creation that when audiences finally see the full result, there are few surprises and even fewer positive reviews. The Watchmen is a great example. As one noted expert in the field (my brother) said, “If the whole movie had just been four-second action clips set to Smashing Pumpkins songs, it would have been a great film.” Spike Jonze’s latest offering, Where The Wild Things Are, seemed like another prime candidate for Perfect Trailer Syndrome. When that two-minute, Arcade Fire-backed clip exploded all over YouTube earlier this year, it became an immediate sensation thanks to its whimsical feel and outstanding visuals. But at the back of everyone’s mind was the question: can the hundred-minute film deliver anything more?
The answer is yes – just.
