October 19, 2009 -- This unusual film gives a view of life that is very child-like, but it is not presented with child-like simplicity. It will leave most children, and most adults baffled. It can be interpreted in many different ways, but whether it actually means anything at all is open for debate. The movie's world view seems simple, but is complex. It argues that dealing with life, family, relationships and emotions is a hopelessly complicated business. It seems a bit unfinished at the end.

Max (played by Max Records of “The Brothers Bloom”) is a troubled young boy who is aggressive, but easily hurt. He has trouble controlling his anger, but is very creative and has an active imagination. His relationships with friends and family are difficult for him to handle. After a destructive fit of anger aimed at his sister, he retreats into a fantasy world where he is the king of giant creatures on a remote island. Some of these creatures are benign, some are helpful, others are destructive. One creature is both angry and destructive. This may represent that aspect of Max's own personality, his own anger and destructive impulses that he is unable to control. It may also represent someone in Max's life. Each of these creatures may represent parts of Max's own personality, or they may represent members of Max's family and friends, or both.

As Max's reign as the island king becomes more and more troubled by his inability to control the creatures in his own mind, his relationship to each of these creatures shifts dramatically. Friends become enemies and vice versa as different aspects of the creatures' personalities are revealed. Max is finally forced to admit that he is not really a king and that he is no better than any of the creatures on the island. He decides to get back in his boat and sail home. He leaves without resolving his inner conflicts. He is unable to deal with the anger, resentment and jealousy of the various creatures. In effect, the story simply reiterates Max's real world problems in a fantasy setting. It even fails to address Max's problems, let alone deal with them in any constructive way.

If this were a real story, rather than a fictional one, Max would indeed be the king of the island, and he could make the creatures behave, because they are, after all, creatures of his own imagination. He would have power over them, not vice versa. In this regard, some have argued, the film is at odds with the book on which the movie is based. Millions of kids have problems just like Max and they find ways to deal with these problems. These problems are not unsolvable. But this isn't real life, it is a Hollywood movie, and Hollywood writers love stories where the main character is a helpless victim of circumstance. That may be the real reason Max in the movie is hopeless when it comes to dealing with his problems. This doesn't really sound like a movie for kids, does it? It isn't. It lies somewhere in the no man's land between child and adult films. It seems unfinished. Some critics rejoice in the downbeat nature of this film (the more depressing and the less free will there is in a movie is, the better they like it). Some might view it as more upbeat than I, or some others, have described it.

Regardless of whether or not the film means anything at all, it is a triumph of visual imagination, production and set design and costuming. The creatures are wonderfully expressive and the costumes are fantastic. The island location, the huts, forts, and other constructs are imaginatively designed and decorated. The acting by Max Records and Max's mother (played by Catherine Keener of “The Soloist”) is superb. This seriously uneven film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2009 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at .