I wondered how they would make a film from the book so many of us loved as children. Unfortunately, Jonze (a director I usually love) et al did not rise to the challenge. While the young actor who played Max was wonderful, the nonexistent script really weakened what could have been a story that brought you closer to the characters not distanced you from them. The "puppets" and animation was amazing and almost worth the price of admission - almost. Wait for the DVD if you are compelled to see this.