History YMMV / WhereTheWildThingsAre

* CriticalBacklash: [[VindicatedByHistory You might not know it now]] but back when this book was first released, it was widely panned by both critics and readers alike. Those who decided to read the book themselves don't understand what the big deal is, claiming that it's just a normal kids book, not the worst book ever.

** Either the monsters are [[ImaginaryFriend Imaginary Friends]] of Max, or representations of his emotions and the people he lives with. On popular possibility is that they are representations of DotingGrandparents who let him get away with stuff his parents won't and always want him to visit for longer. Max himself can also be seen as a child with [[DiagnosedByTheAudience a personality disorder]]

** Either the monsters are [[ImaginaryFriend Imaginary Friends]] of Max, or representations of his emotions and the people he lives with. Max himself can also be seen as a child with [[DiagnosedByTheAudience a personality disorder]].

** As an older sibling, you have a responsibility to take care of your younger siblings, even if they're annoying. Neglecting them will only lead to emotional issues later in life. Claire not taking a quick moment to make sure Max was okay (after her friends destroyed his snow fort) is largely what leads to his outburst later on.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation:
** While it's Max who learns most of the lessons in this story, there are also some that apply to Max's family, especially his mother and sister.
** A child with emotional problems ''needs'' to be treated seriously and with compassion, and despite your needs as parent, ''they'' have to come first. Indeed, much of Max's unruly behaviour in the start of the film is clearly a result of loneliness, and vulnerability.

** Like Max, Carol hasn't learned to live with change and genuinely wants good things but his tantrums aren't helping matters and, from what's implied, said tantrums (and him being kind of a bully) are the reason as to why [=KW=] spends less time around the other wild things. To top this off, at the end, [[spoiler: he doesn't even get to make amends]].
* NightmareFuel: Carol [[spoiler:ripping off Douglas's arm who starts ''bleeding sand'']].
** Potentially lessened by the fact that none of the characters (including Douglas himself) react in a way that implies that Douglas is in pain and, if anything, [[AngstWhatAngst he reacts more with annoyance]]. However, this could go the other way, and the disproportionate reaction might make it seem even *more* unsettling.

** Especially for younger viewers, the scene where Max has to crawl into K.W’s giant maw and hide in her stomach is absolutely traumatizing.

* SoOkayItsAverage: Many people tend to view the movie as this. Decent acting and [[{{SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome}} amazing visuals]] aside, it's generally considered Creator/SpikeJonzes' weakest movie. That being said, it's at least watchable compared to other movies based off of kid's books.
* UncertainAudience: The movie falls into this trope. It's based off of a popular kid's book but despite this, it is much DarkerAndEdgier than the book it's based off of and includes scary and sad scenes like [[spoiler:Douglas' arm getting ripped off]] and themes of coping with change and growing up. This might make young kids not want to watch the movie. As for the adults, they might not want to watch the movie either due to it being based off of a book aimed at very young children. Spike Jonze himself [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded this]] in an interview, saying that it wasn't meant to be a kid's film but a "film about childhood".
* VindicatedByHistory: One of the most famous examples in literature. According to Maurice Sendak, when the book was first released, it was not only panned by critics when published in 1963 - it was banned in libraries. Two years later, it was discovered that the book was immensely popular among children and it has since become a hit among critics and audiences alike ever since.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: While it's Max who learns most of the lessons in this story, there are also some that apply to Max's family, especially his mother and sister.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The use of [[Music/ArcadeFire Arcade Fire’s]] “Wake Up” in the movie trailer prepares the audience for the surprising amount of TearJerker moments throughout the film.

* UglyCute: The monsters themselves capture this aesthetic from the book.

** Either the monsters are [[ImaginaryFriend Imaginary Friends]] of Max, or representations of his emotions and the people he lives with. Max himself can also be seen as a child with [[AmbiguousDisorder a personality disorder]].

* ValuesDissonance: Some have interpreted the film as being pro-imperialist, seeing as the white boy Max goes to a land of monsters and immediately becomes their king. Since the book was released in 1963, it's hard to fault it for this, though.

* UnfortunateImplications: Some have interpreted the film as being pro-imperialist, seeing as the white boy Max goes to a land of monsters and immediately becomes their king. Since the book was released in 1963, it's hard to fault it for this, though.

* ValuesDissonance: Some have interpreted the film as being pro-imperialist, seeing as the white boy Max goes to a land of monsters and immediately becomes their king. Since the book was released in 1963, it's hard to fault it for this, though.

* AngstWhatAngst: Douglas doesn't see as a big deal that [[spoiler:Carol ripped his arm]], in fact, he reacts more with annoyance than with pain.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Either the monsters are [[ImaginaryFriend Imaginary Friends]] of Max, or representations of his emotions and the people he lives with. Max himself can also be seen as a child with a personality disorder.
** Near the end, does Carol really want to eat Max, or was it just an emotional outburst that wasn’t a serious threat? Carol doesn’t even seem sure, as shown when K.W. calls him out on trying to eat Max. He claims that he “just said it” and wouldn’t actually do it, but it’s unclear if this is Carol in denial of his lack of control, or him being honest and that he didn’t mean what he said.
* AngstWhatAngst: Douglas doesn't see as a big deal that [[spoiler: Carol ripped his arm]], in fact, he reacts more with annoyance than with pain.
-->'''Douglas:'''[[spoiler:That was my favorite arm]]!

* NightmareFuel: Carol [[spoiler: ripping off Douglas's arm who starts ''bleeding sand''.]]

* UglyCute

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The Wild Thing suits. The combination of CGI and animatronics is ''seamless.''

** Then again, Maurice Sendak has gone on record to state that the film is absolutely fine for kids "and anyone who doesn't like can go right to hell." [[ApprovalOfGod So... there's that]]. Although, to be fair, the original ''was'' meant as a children's story, and Sendak has gotten more than his fair share of this trope, to the point that some teachers wanted to '''ban''' them.

** Like Max, Carol hasn't learned to live with change and genuinely wants good things but his tantrums aren't helping matters and, from what's implied, said tantrums (and him being kind of a bully) are the reason as to why [=KW=] spends less time around the other wild things. To top this off, at the end, [[spoiler: he doesn't even get to make amends]]
%%* {{Narm}}: Hearing [[Series/TheSopranos Tony Soprano]] voicing Carol.

** Potentially lessened by the fact that none of the characters (including Douglas himself) react in a way that implies that Douglas is in pain and, if anything, he reacts more with annoyance. However, this could go the other way, and the disproportionate reaction might make it seem even *more* unsettling.

** Near the end, does Carol really want to eat Max, or was it just an emotional outburst that wasn’t a serious threat. Carol doesn’t even seem sure, as shown when K.W. calls him out on trying to eat Max. He claims that he “just said it” and wouldn’t actually do it, but it’s unclear if this is Carol in denial of his lack of control, or him being honest and that he didn’t mean what he said.

* {{Narm}}: Hearing [[Series/TheSopranos Tony Soprano]] voicing Carol.

* CreepyCute: The Wild Things fall into this. Their eyes are big and eerie, they loom as if about to attack, and they have sharp claws and fangs. But they're still overtly lovable looking.