Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysHoliday PicksMAMISTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Max en de maximonsters

Original title: Where the Wild Things Are
  • 2009
  • 9
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
108K
YOUR RATING
James Gandolfini and Max Records in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
The second theatrical trailer for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's book. In it, Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world -- a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.
Play trailer2:33
19 Videos
99+ Photos
AdventureDramaFamily

Yearning for escape and adventure, a young boy runs away from home and sails to an island filled with creatures that take him in as their king.Yearning for escape and adventure, a young boy runs away from home and sails to an island filled with creatures that take him in as their king.Yearning for escape and adventure, a young boy runs away from home and sails to an island filled with creatures that take him in as their king.

  • Director
    • Spike Jonze
  • Writers
    • Spike Jonze
    • Dave Eggers
    • Maurice Sendak
  • Stars
    • Max Records
    • Catherine O'Hara
    • Forest Whitaker
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    108K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Spike Jonze
    • Writers
      • Spike Jonze
      • Dave Eggers
      • Maurice Sendak
    • Stars
      • Max Records
      • Catherine O'Hara
      • Forest Whitaker
    • 464User reviews
    • 348Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 54 nominations

    Videos19

    Where the Wild Things Are -- Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:33
    Watch Where the Wild Things Are -- Trailer #2
    Where the Wild Things Are: Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:07
    Watch Where the Wild Things Are: Trailer #1
    Where The Wild Things Are
    Clip 1:21
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are
    Where The Wild Things Are
    Clip 1:33
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are
    Where The Wild Things Are
    Clip 1:34
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are
    Where The Wild Things Are
    Clip 1:32
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are
    Where The Wild Things Are
    Clip 1:25
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are
    Where The Wild Things Are: What's Your Story
    Clip 1:21
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are: What's Your Story
    Where The Wild Things Are: You Know The Sun Is Going To Die?
    Clip 1:24
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are: You Know The Sun Is Going To Die?
    Where The Wild Things Are: This Is Our Family
    Clip 1:33
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are: This Is Our Family
    Where The Wild Things Are: I Like How You Destroy Stuff
    Clip 1:33
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are: I Like How You Destroy Stuff
    Where The Wild Things Are: Dirt Clod Fight
    Clip 1:31
    Watch Where The Wild Things Are: Dirt Clod Fight

    Photos113

    Max Records in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Max Records in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Max Records in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Max Records in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    James Gandolfini and Vincent Crowley in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Nick Farnell, and Sam Longley in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    James Gandolfini, Max Records, and Vincent Crowley in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    James Gandolfini, Max Records, and Vincent Crowley in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    James Gandolfini, Max Records, and Vincent Crowley in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Max Records in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Catherine O'Hara and Nick Farnell in Max en de maximonsters (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Max Records
    Max Records
    • Max
    Catherine O'Hara
    Catherine O'Hara
    • Judith
    • (voice)
    Forest Whitaker
    Forest Whitaker
    • Ira
    • (voice)
    Pepita Emmerichs
    • Claire
    Max Pfeifer
    • Claire's Friend
    Madeleine Greaves
    • Claire's Friend
    Joshua Jay
    Joshua Jay
    • Claire's Friend
    Ryan Corr
    Ryan Corr
    • Claire's Friend
    Catherine Keener
    Catherine Keener
    • Mom
    Steve Mouzakis
    Steve Mouzakis
    • Teacher
    Mark Ruffalo
    Mark Ruffalo
    • The Boyfriend
    James Gandolfini
    James Gandolfini
    • Carol
    • (voice)
    Vincent Crowley
    Vincent Crowley
    • Carol Suit Performer
    Paul Dano
    Paul Dano
    • Alexander
    • (voice)
    Sonny Gerasimowicz
    Sonny Gerasimowicz
    • Alexander Suit Performer
    Nick Farnell
    Nick Farnell
    • Judith Suit Performer
    Sam Longley
    Sam Longley
    • Ira Suit Performer
    Michael Berry Jr.
    Michael Berry Jr.
    • The Bull
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Spike Jonze
    • Writers
      • Spike Jonze
      • Dave Eggers
      • Maurice Sendak
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Spike Jonze turned down the chance to make the movie fully animated, because he wanted people to feel the Wild Things, and thought it would be more exciting and dangerous if a real kid were running around with the wild things.
    • Goofs
      When Max says, "Wow!" when he sees Carol's world built from sticks, an earpiece is visible in Max Records' ear.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      The Bull: Hey, Max?

      Max: Yeah?

      The Bull: When you go home, will you say good things about us?

      Max: Yeah, I will.

      The Bull: Thanks, Max.

      Judith: You're the first king we haven't eaten.

      Alexander: Yeah, that's true.

      Judith: See ya.

      Alexander: Bye, Max.

      Max: Bye.

      KW: Don't go. I'll eat you up; I love you so.

      [all howl]

    • Crazy credits
      The logos for Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, and Village Roadshow Pictures are covered with Max's scribblings.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Duplicity/Knowing/I Love You, Man (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Worried Shoes
      Written by Daniel Johnston

      Produced by Karen O and Tom Biller (as tbiller)

      Performed by Karen O and the Kids

      Courtesy of DGC/Interscope Records

    User reviews464

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Redefining the adaptation
    Where the Wild Things Are, one of the most beloved children's books, comes to the big screen in one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. Spike Jonze, the man responsible for Being John Malcovich, Adaptation, and several Beastie Boys music videos including "Sabotage", brings the tale to life. I must admit, I have been anxiously awaiting this film for several months, something I don't like to do too often as it sets up for a potential major let down.

    Well, that didn't happen this time.

    We follow Max (Max Records), a boy who is lonely and misunderstood. His sister doesn't pay attention to him, his mother is busy with work and her boyfriend, and he has worries at school. All he wants is attention and to belong. One night, he finally breaks and runs away. He makes his way to the woods and to the waters edge. There he finds a small boat and set out on the open sea, leaving everything behind him.

    He comes across an island and goes ashore. There he finds a group of monsters in turmoil. Max seizes his opportunity and confronts the group. He tells them that he is a great king and help them solve their problems.

    I don't want to give too much of the story away because I feel like telling it would ruin some of the magic. This is one of the most visually pleasing films I have seen in a long time. Jonze filmed in Australia. We are given vivid landscapes of lush forests, arid deserts, and beautiful shorelines, culminating in an almost Lord of the Rings like experience. These spectacular settings would rarely be beaten in magnificence in another film, but here they come second to the unbelievable special effects used for the monsters.

    There are seven monsters on the island. Carol, Ira, Judith, KW, Douglas, Alexander, and The Bull. They all have unique features and are of massive size. Jonze could have gone two ways here. He could have completely made them all CG or he could have gone Jim Henson and turned them into Muppets. Instead, he carved a third path and combined the other two options. Max is able to interact extremely well with the gigantic puppet/suits, but the faces are edited with computer graphics, giving them startlingly realistic features and expressions. Making these monsters any different way would have been disastrous.

    Another key aspect of the monsters is giving them a voice. Jonze chose excellent voice actors with James Gandolfini, Forrest Whitaker, Catherine O'Hara, Lauren Ambrose, Paul Dano, and Chris Cooper. They each have their own personality that compliments their physical and emotional characteristics.

    Aside from the monsters, I was very impressed with Max. He is asked to do a very demanding thing: be a kid. That sounds easy, but it is very easily messed up. I'm interested in finding out how much freedom Jonze gave Records in certain scenes that called for him to go "wild". I can imagine directing young actors is not the easiest thing to do, but sometimes you catch a break when you get a talented one.

    Giving life to these characters is a spectacular screenplay by Jonze and Dave Eggers (who wrote Away We Go). Their writing speaks to both kids and adults, using language that is meaningful and easy to understand. The things Max goes through every child feels growing up: loneliness, fear, belonging, etc.

    There is so much to love about this movie. It speaks to the heart. But before you head out with the whole family, heed this warning. Some parts of this film might be too intense for younger audience members. Certain scene involving the monsters might be a bit too overwhelming. Yes, these monsters are friendly, but they are monsters, meaning they are large, intimidating, and somewhat scary.

    Where the Wild Things Are will satisfy, entertain, and open your eyes. Spike Jonze poured everything he had into this film and the wait was well worth it. I hope you will fall under its spell just as I did.
    helpful•100
    64
    • moviemanMA
    • Oct 17, 2009

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Lovable Creatures: Our Favorite Screen Pals

    Lovable Creatures: Our Favorite Screen Pals

    Grogu, E.T., and more cuddly creatures we love to see on the screen.
    See the gallery
    Editorial Image
    Photos

    FAQ27

    • How long is Where the Wild Things Are?Powered by Alexa
    • Is "Where the Wild Things Are" based on a book?
    • Is this movie animated?
    • How closely does the movie follow the book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 14, 2010 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • Germany
      • United States
      • Australia
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Warner Bros. (France)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Where the Wild Things Are
    • Filming locations
      • Flinders, Victoria, Australia
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • Legendary Entertainment
      • Village Roadshow Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $100,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $77,233,467
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $32,695,407
      • Oct 18, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $100,140,916
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 41 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    James Gandolfini and Max Records in Max en de maximonsters (2009)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for Max en de maximonsters (2009)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Production art
    List
    The Best New Shows and Movies in November
    See our picks
    Production art
    List
    TV Tracker: Renewed and Canceled Shows
    Check the status

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.