Taking a short, 10-line children’s book and turning it into an hour and a half long film is no easy feat, but one director Spike Jonze does flawlessly. His adaptation of the 1963 book “Where the Wild Things Are,” written by Maurice Sendak, is ambitious, but the years of hard work more than paid off.

“Where the Wild Things Are” is a story about a rambunctious and imaginative young boy named Max (played by Max Records), who, after getting in trouble with his mother, drifts to a faraway island where he meets a bunch of monsters, who name him their king. In the book, these monsters are nameless, but in the movie they not only have names but distinct personalities as well.

Max quickly forms a friendship with all the wild things but grows closest to Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini) and KW (voiced by Lauren Ambrose). These two monsters have a tense relationship, which sometimes makes things awkward for Max.

The film, like the book, is a darker but more honest look at childhood than most other children’s books and movies. The characters in “Where the Wild Things Are” are often sad, anxious and destructive, looking to Max to make things right, a burden far too big for anyone to carry, especially for a little boy. He can’t make things perfect for the wild things; all he can do is try to make things better. This theme is present throughout the film, as Max tries his best but sometimes fails.

Max and young viewers learn that sometimes the world is a sad place. It’s a tough message not often found in children’s movies but one that is probably more important than the others.

Jonze expands the book in a way that stays true to Sendak’s original vision. Where the book shows how much fun Max has with the monsters in just a few pages, the movie shows what they’re doing that is so much fun. In the book, the wild things don’t want Max to leave them, and the movie shows the feelings they all have for each other and why the goodbye is so hard. The movie is surprisingly psychological and filled with more talking than action, but the few action scenes are incredible and full of fun: childlike destruction and dirt clod wars.

The wild things look astonishingly like their book counterparts. The monster suits could not have been easy to perform in, but every movement is graceful, even for huge creatures. The faces were computer animated, but they don’t look unrealistic or digital. The monsters’ emotions are easily readable, yet subtle.

“Where the Wild Things Are” teaches kids about love and forgiveness in a way that is not belittling or condescending. It shows them why these are important lessons, instead of just saying, “Because I said so.” The characters are flawed and emotional, just like real people.

In real life, there isn’t a prince charming or fairy godmother to make all of life’s problems go away. Although the destructive and angry Max is not a perfect example for young kids, everyone can learn something from his efforts and good intentions with the wild things.

Jonze kept Sendak involved in the making of this movie, and with Sendak’s feedback, Jonze has succeeded in making a truly beautiful, touching and heartfelt adaptation of one of the most beloved children’s books of all time. A movie adaption had been in the works for years, with different production companies and different directors, but none would have made a movie as wonderful as this.