“I would tell them to go to hell. That’s a question I will not tolerate,” Sendak said. “If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it’s not a question that can be answered.”

And this is one major reason why “Where The Wild Things Are” is a fantastic film, wet pants or no. If you do see it, please, bring as many easily-frightened small children as you can along with you.

The film is scary. Really. Freaking. Scary. For those who aren’t familiar with the story, it follows the adventure of a young boy who runs away from home after a particularly terrible tantrum and finds himself (after a very long boat ride) in a land full of giant monsters who enjoy being just as terrible as him.

In one particular scene, Max, the bratty kid in the wolf suit, is being chased by Carol (main Wild Thing, voiced by James Gandolfini) whom he has recently pissed off quite a bit. Carol has a psychological meltdown that can’t be fixed unless he devours Max whole.

What follows is a whole lot of close ups of gnashing teeth and claws all cut together with scenes of Max running the hell away for his life. Add some shaky camera and a dark color palette and you’ve got yourself a nightmare, kid or adult. Continued....