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Why the "Wild Things" is a cheat
Published: 10/29/2009 1:28 PM
Last Modified: 10/29/2009 1:28 PM

I figured the box-office for “Where the Wild Things Are” would drop in its second weekend by more than 60 percent, or about double what so-called “family films” usually fall off by in their second week. Why? Word-of-mouth buzz.
As in bad buzz. As in, “Don’t take your 5-year-olds who are of the age that you read the book to them, because the movie was not made for them, not made for the age group that first falls in love with Maurice Sendak’s book.”
The film’s gross fell by 57 percent, from a No. 1 debut of $32.5 million down to $14 million in the second weekend (while “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” continues to drop by only about 30 percent a week). The “Wild Things” sharp decline was more in line with that of a film targeted at an older crowd, which I believe the makeup of the film to be, despite seeing commercials for the movie during my daughter’s “Spongebob Squarepants” viewings.
“Where the Wild Things” was a huge disappointment for me, because it felt like a lie had been perpetrated. I loved this book as a child. I had expectations that a movie would be similar in tone, filled with imagination and a bit of fear. I expected to take my own children, ages 5 and 9, to see the film at a later time.
Within minutes of the screening I knew I would not be returning for an encore with the little ones. I agree with other critics that many children’s movies have become increasingly shallow and ridiculously manic, and I went in knowing that “Wild Things” by director Spike Jonze (“Being John Malkovich”) would be different.
What I didn’t know was that “Where the Wild Things Are” would bore young kids. I felt cheated — and depressed by all the sad animals on Max’s magical island — as I walked out of the theater. I was not the only one.
“I just got out of that movie, and it sucked,” said a mother into her cell phone outside of theater No. 10 at AMC Southroads 20, a 400-plus seater that was nearly full on a fall break Friday that she was exiting with a couple of boys in tow. “It was terrible, and I was ready to leave after 10 minutes, but I thought it would get better, and the kids had really wanted to see this movie …” the woman continued.
She was passionately ticked off, and so were a few others. “Wild Things” was the first movie in three years of reviewing films for the Tulsa World in which I saw families leaving the theater before the end of the movie for some reason other than for an “accident,” if you know what I mean.

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I See Movies for Free

“I was born a poor, black child” … not me, actually, but Steve Martin’s character in the “The Jerk.” That absurd opening line is just one of the absurd number of film facts, quotes and minutiae contained in movie critic Michael Smith’s brain, at his disposal to toss out on a moment’s notice. It’s a key requirement as Tulsa World film critic to know these things. Michael learned a few other life facts along the way (seven years as a Crystal’s Pizza & Spaghetti manager) before attempting journalism and joining the Tulsa World in 1996, where he’s covered everything from a school shooting in Fort Gibson to a tornado in Stroud to witnessing an execution. A little community theater coverage was sprinkled in there, too. Movies engender many of his happiest memories, from standing in line for “Star Wars” and “Grease” at the Southroads Cinema to the James Bond and Pink Panther movies that always premiered at the enormous Continental Theater.

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Past Articles By Michael Smith

2/16/2013		Broken Arrow movie theater moves to discount showings
2/15/2013		Review: 'Amour'
2/15/2013		Review: 'A Good Day to Die Hard'
2/15/2013		Review: 'Beautiful Creatures'
2/14/2013		Review: 'Quartet'
2/14/2013		Shirley MacLaine to speak at Osage Casino
2/14/2013		Weekly rewind: February 14
2/14/2013		REVIEW: 'Beautiful Creatures'
2/12/2013		Belgian best picture hopeful 'Amour' opens in Tulsa on Friday
2/10/2013		'Die Hard' marathon at AMC Southroads on Wednesday ends with new film
2/9/2013		Review: 'Identity Thief' a stupid movie from stupid idea
2/8/2013		Oscar audit: Critics choices for best picture hold up over time

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