Where The Wild Things Are: The Wild Rumpus Edition

March 1, 2012 @ 10:10 am

When njvc first announced this edit I was skeptical how well he would pull off his intention due to a lack of “real world” scenes. I can safely say that my fears were quelled.

njvc has made an absolutely perfect fanedit. This is a beautiful piece of work and it should be seen by everybody. Well done!

The quality is top-notch, even in the single-layer DVD. And the extras were a real treat, especially the commentary with Mr. and Mrs. njvc.

10/10!

So I bought and watched the theatrical WTWA based on all the good feedback this edit was receiving. I watched it this past weekend. I thought it was decent. Although I did feel it was a little long (even though it was only in the 1 hour and 40 minute range).

Enter The Wild Rumpus Edition. I only watched the edit portion of the dvd, so when i go back and watch the special features I may have to edit this post. I just finished watching the edit, and this is one of the few times where I knew what to expect going into the edit. Usually I like to watch an edit without knowing the changes made, but I already knew before watching this that there was going to be knew music added, and that in this version Max would be making multiple “trips” to the place where the wild things are.

This “multiple trip” way of telling story worked great. I think this aspect of the edit (along with the reduced runtime) made it more enjoyable for me. As far as the new music that was added – rescoring and/or adding music is always a risk. Its hit or miss. It’s one of those things that IMO really has to “fit” in order to work. Well njvc definitely picked music that works. None of the extra music he chose to use felt odd or out of place, to me it all felt natural and fit the tone of the movie.

I enjoyed the new opening bit and I really liked the new ending!

As far as editing goes, technically it seemed fine. I noticed no problems with the audio or video.

I give this edit a 10/10 and I definitely find this version to be more enjoyable than the theatrical version (which is something I rarely say about a fanedit – there are fanedits that have been equal to the theatrical but rarely for me more enjoyable. This is one of those times though). I’m very stingey with my 10/10s (i think i’ve only rated 2 fanedits 10/10) but this is very deserving of the score. Great work!

I was spoiled by viewing njvc's version before the theatrical cut, and comparing the two is like asking which one gives off more warmth, a campfire or a match?

njvc finds the film's poetry and removes the semiwet concrete in which it's encased. Here, the protagonist is less of a brat, and that works better. The original soundtrack was serviceable, but njvc's sonic selections drew me more deeply into the movie.

And the intercutting between the real and the fantastic was inspired. The original kept the fantasy world tucked away from the introduction, as if the fantasy were a reward the audience had to wait for, according to some worn code of ritual. But njvc mercifully throws us into max's dreamspace without unnecessary ado.

This version has greater brightness in the nocturnal scenes, and that's for the better. Some of the lackluster dialogue remains, but that's not njvc's fault; enough was removed to elevate what was left.

Bravo, njvc. 10/10.

Seamless edit. The restructuring worked so much better than the original film. The music was a vast improvement in my opinion. This is absolutely my go to version of this movie. Great work!

The film already had wonderful visuals, but njvc managed to put the magic of childhood into it. Keeping the focus entirely on Max, while trimming away the things that would make us wish he hadn't - this is the now the experience it always should have been. What a brilliant transformation.

Whether someone was a fan of the original film or not, I recommend you give this version a shot. It's a ride worth taking.