I'm getting a feeling that Where the Wild Things Are is going to become one of the most misunderstood films in recent years. It's a great piece of work, but it certainly is not what most people will expect it to be.

I caught a screening this afternoon, and I certainly wasn't let down. Spike Jonze is now three for three as far I'm concerned. Where the Wild Things Are is moody and atmospheric in all the right ways. It packs a genuine emotional wallop without coming across as forced or schmaltzy. It's definitely worth noting that the best voice work in the film is provided by James Gandolfini, who is doing great projects outside of The Sopranos universe.

Yet Where the Wild Things Are is a film that mainstream audiences will have a problem digesting for the same reasons that make it great. As harsh as it sounds, family audiences will walk out vaguely confused and underwhelmed. It's no mistake that the press notes feature the following quote from Jonze: "I didn't set out to make a children's movie; I set out to make a movie about childhood." Where the Wild Things Are will be appreciated by adults because it's partially about the struggle to understand children, and the desire to provide them with the unquenchable amount of attention they crave. It's also about coming to terms with childhood angst and finding someone else in the world to empathize with. In short, it's not G-Force.

Young children who find themselves in a theater with Jonze's film will probably be blown away in the same way that past generations were shaken up by The Wizard of Oz, Gremlins and Labyrinth. They'll have nightmares for a couple weeks, but they'll also be partially aware that what they've seen is totally unique and with any luck a seed will be planted. Where the Wild Things Are may not be fully appreciated in the short term, but it could very well give birth to a new generation of film junkies.