I was so psyched to see this movie, mainly from the preview (which was really well done.) I didn’t love the book as a child, but I liked it a lot.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy watching the film – I did. I was even kind of moved at the end. But what I don’t understand is why all the monsters had to be a bunch of depressed, neurotic, violent, fucked-up LOSERS? I guess Spike Jonze felt he had to add something to the plot – after all, nothing much happens in the book. But why THAT?! It makes the film something that you really never want to see again. All the monsters in this film needed anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-convulsants, and maybe electro-shock therapy. It’s fucking grim. They yell at the kid meanly and incoherently, like alcoholics. They live in a impenetrable cloud of anxiety and despair. Does this sound like a film to add to your collection? You wanna see this kind of shit, just open your eyes and look around you!

Before we went into the theater, I was in the men’s room and some kid was having a nervous breakdown from the show right before ours (which was in progress,) and his dad was trying to talk him down, explaining about the monsters. Christ, now I see why the kid was freaking out!

This is all a real shame because they had a really interesting and effective score, a fabulous setting, the rendering of the monsters was really incredible (and I say this as someone who despises CGI shit,) and they found the cutest kid on the face of the earth to play Max (plus he can act and has a good voice.) Additionally, Spike Jonze really does a beautiful job with his camera work and the pacing of the film. Basically, it had everything going for it … except that its story is just too grim and depressing to be experienced again and again. Compare this film to The Secret Garden, and you’ll see what I’m getting at.

I think this film is worth checking out, because it does have a lot of fine qualities. Maybe the spectacle of violently depressed freaks (who happen to be as big as trucks) acting out on an innocent child will not bother you as much as it did me. All I know is this film might have been a timeless exploration of childhood, but instead it was like someone cracked open a psychiatric prison and let all the inmates out.