The film is based on the novel adaption "The Wild Things" by Dave Eggers. Not the famous children's book itself. Which is why the film deals with so much adult subject matter.
For those of you unfamiliar with Eggers work, some of his most well known works include "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius", "You Shall Know Our Velocity", and one of his more recent works "What is What" a novel based on the true story of one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan".
Needless to say, he is not a young adult literature author so I did not expect to see a live-action version of a children's story when I saw this film. Having not read the book (the novel I mean) I'd say that this film did a pretty good job of portraying an adult's view on childhood. The individual creatures as representations of the different aspects of adulthood was subtle yet clear to those who looked at it the right way. The character of Carol as an allegory for Max's reluctance to let go of his childhood was the greatest aspect of the film imo.
Although if I was a parent expecting to see a movie that would be entertaining to my kids, I would probably be disappointed.
