I think each 'wild thing' represented something within Max. I just wished there were more imagination and less angst. Let me as a 35 year-old man, take a ride on less of a dark tale and maybe add more color and, well, hope.
You really start thinking of the wild things as real animals they were that believable.
My big disappointment was in the first scene of the movie when he is playing in the snow with the blossoming trees in the background. There were also other trees that would not have any leaves on them instead of dark green leaves. I saw it on imax, so maybe the background detail come s through more clear.
All in all... an interesting movie, but I left a bit sad.