It's good to review reactions ahead of time, to know what NOT to expect. Our group of twenty-somethings who grew up with the book really liked this thought-provoking interpretation, the visuals, the acting, the music. Remember it is from the child's perspective and limited experience. His resolution of issues is like the short vampire story he tells his mother. The action seems slow because he does not yet know how to deal with these issues, which stops forward progress. He is not interacting with the wild things, as much as confronting reflections of his own emotions.