I finally saw Where the Wild Things Are yesterday, and I'm totally conflicted. Not a kid's film, and my 10-year old really disliked it. I thought it was visually striking (on par with the best Terry Gilliam at times), and it was imaginative and emotional. It just totally missed (or chose to ignore) what I think are the main points of Sendak's book. Rather than focusing on the innocence and imagination that makes childhood the amazing time it is (even when you're in the doghouse with your parents), the film explored the full range of human character flaws that can make childhood simultaneously so painful at times.
The film was earnest, honest, and heartfelt — but it emphasized aspects of being a kid that I think are the antithesis of what shines through in Maurice Sendak's book and makes it a timeless book that becomes a favorite of each new generation.