Where the Wild Things Weren't

Rating: 7/10 (19 October 2009)

I love a good scare. I like it better when shared with an audience full of fellow victims. So I didn't hesitate to see this movie based on the trailer. How could I pass up "The scariest movie of all time". So scary we saw reaction audience shots in the trailer to prove it.
So at my local Cineplex, on a Friday opening nation wide weekend, there I sat. Popcorn bucket in hand. I also brought my family so I had someone to clutch.
Fast forward an hour into the film...Popcorn gone(the mega free refill bucket). Why is this important? Because instead of clutching at family, and a possible stranger or two, I'm shoving my face full of buttery ecstasy. I'm now full and sleepy. This preoccupation with my popcorn bucket was brought about from watching a Serta Mattress commercial for nearly an hour.
Yes there was an occasional bump or door creek. (I live in a decade old house) if this is scary to most, come spend the night here. The audience has yet to make one of those movie trailer synchronized screams. I however am telling myself it's building up to something. The short story is: it did. I loved the ending, and the 15 minutes leading up to it. However the first hour was so dull it really hurt the momentum. That multiplied by average acting (I did appreciate what non-actors brought to the films pseudo realism), and a script that had very little to offer other than the build up to the end. Couple that with the overused shaky cam effect (not as bad as recent attempts in films like Cloverfield and .Rec) and uninteresting dialogue and you have the makings of a sci-fi original.
I can't help but think that most will get in line for the ride, but end up waiting patiently for the ride home. And if they live in a home like mine; the film won't be what keeps them up at night.