Where the Wild Things Are reviews are coming in, and so far… so good. For the most part.

Director Spike Jonze is under the microscope of the critics and and fans of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book, so some may be scrutinizing Where the Wild Things Are more than others.

Metacritic.com has given Where the Wild Things Are an average of 70 (generally favorable reviews) based on 32 critics reviews, while RottenTomatoes.com has the film resting at 67% on the Tomatometer.

Here’s a rundown of some of the critics reviews for Where the Wild Things Are:

Sara Vilkomerson, NY Observer: “This one is certainly not going to be for the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs crowd. I can’t imagine any young kid seeing it, not just because parts of it are dark and kind of scary, but because I can’t imagine any small fry having the attention span to stick with it.”

Lisa Schwarzbaum, EW: “Profoundly beautiful and affecting, Where the Wild Things Are is a breath-
taking act of artistic transubstantiation. From Maurice Sendak’s beloved picture book about a rambunctious little boy named Max and the kingdom of untamed creatures who adopt him as their like-minded king, filmmaker Spike Jonze has made a movie that is true to Sendak’s unique sensibilities and simultaneously true to Jonze’s own colorful instincts for anarchy. This is, to quote the 1963 children’s classic, ‘the most wild thing of all.’”

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: “Not since Robert Altman took on “Popeye” a generation ago, and lost, has a major director addressed such a well-loved, all-ages title. This time everything works, from tip to tail.”

Manohla Dargis, The New York Times: “With Where the Wild Things Are Jonze has made a work of art that stands up to its source and, in some instances, surpasses it.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: “The movie felt long to me, and there were some stretches during which I was less than riveted. Is it possible that there wasn’t enough Sendak story to justify a feature-length film?”

Todd McCarthy, Variety: “Director Spike Jonze’s sharp instincts and vibrant visual style can’t quite compensate for the lack of narrative eventfulness that increasingly bogs down this bright-minded picture.”