Below are Mini Reviews from Cineman Syndicate for two films opening on October 16, 2009.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. Spike Jonze's rendering of Maurice Sendak's ten-sentence classic is profoundly evocative of childhood angst, formally brilliant, and, here's the rub, unlikely to beguile moviegoers expecting carefree entertainment. There's no coddling going on in this immersive live-action film, which, like a dream, is both eerily matter-of-fact and fantastical. The script is spare and inscrutable, while the performance of young Max Records and the vocal work of James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose and Catherine O’Hara as three creatures he encounters on an island in the far reaches of his imagination are excellent. Forgoing elaborate effects underscores the fact that the wildest things dwell in our minds. (PG) GOOD FANTASY-DRAMA; Director - Spike Jonze;  Lead - Max Records; Running Time - 100 minutes. (Capsule review by John P. McCarthy)

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN. In his finest film this year, and not just because Gamer and The Ugly Truth were busts, Gerard Butler dials up his natural intensity to play the victim of a brutal home invasion who watches as thugs torture and kill his family. When the justice system fails him, he launches a one-man war on the criminals, the lead attorney (Jamie Foxx) and anyone else remotely tied to his tragedy. The material appeals to society's bloodthirsty urge for vengeance while turning a cracked mirror on our flawed justice system. Butler's in his wheelhouse and a rock-solid ensemble helps keep the elaborate story in line longer than most. (R) GOOD THRILLER. Director - F. Gary Gray;  Lead - Gerard Butler;  Running Time - 108 minutes. (Capsule review by Sean O'Connell)

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