Movie Review: Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who / 20th Century Fox Animation / Featuring the voices of: Jim Carrey, Carol Burnett, Charles Osgood, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen / Now Playing
I
don’t know if you were like me as I was growing up, but from the time I first
began to look at books, even long before I could read most of the words, I
wished that for a moment or two I could step into those colorful pages and
become a part of the story. Now courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Animation you can step into a story, that for decades has delighted children
around the globe, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who.
I am not a big Jim Carrey fan, but as the voice of Horton, Carey is splendid in matching the inflections in his voice to our animated elephant hero. Carol Burnett who lends her voice to the evil kangaroo lady (who knew our beloved Carol could be evil?), and Steve Carell as the mayor of Whoville, also turn in splendid performances. Will Arnett excels as the evil vulture Vlad, and Seth Rogen is charming as Horton’s rodent friend Morton. After hearing the rich timbre of renowned radio broadcaster Charles Osgood voice it would be difficult to imagine anyone but him narrating this film. Osgood’s narration adds to the magical quality of this film.
Parents Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who is a film to which you can take a child of any age, and not have to worry about your little boy or girl becoming frightened, like generations of children, including myself were, as we watched in horror while Bambi’s mother disappeared in a forest fire. What’s with that Walt? For those not familiar with the story, it goes like this, Horton the elephant discovers that on a small piece of clover there is a tiny civilization named Whoville, but nobody else believes him and the kangaroo sets out to destroy this piece of clover. The kangaroo will stop at nothing, and Horton will go to any length to preserve the tiny community of, hmmmm, shall we call them Whovillians. The mayor of Whoville who regularly communicates with Horton through a drainpipe which acts as an amplifier, has the same dilemma, nobody believes him that there is another world out there, and one which is much bigger than their own.
Another important aspect of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who is that in a society that far too often wants our children to grow up very quickly and mimic little adult, or exposes them to the darker side of our world at far to early an age, this film allows them to be children for just a moment longer. The story of good triumphing over evil may not always hold true in the cold, sometimes harsh world in which we live, but there is nothing wrong with instilling that hope in our children.
It would not be a Dr. Seuss story if it did not prompt laughter and there are plenty of humorous scenes in this movie. In the opening scene, Horton fashions his big ears into a bathing cap, before using the branch of a palm tree as a board, so he can dive into the water. I am sure that any parent who while in the midst of a family calamity, has looked heavenward and asked in exasperation, ‘Why me,’ will find humor in the fact that the mayor of Whoville has ninety-six daughters. Ahh, but he seems proud of each and every one of them. I also found the scene of the mayor of Whoville resuscitating his goldfish, to be quite humorous.
It had been a couple of years since the last time that I had seen an animated feature film, and I continue to be amazed with how animation artists are able to bring these characters to life. The hues and textures are awesome, while the characters seem more realistic with each new film that comes our way.
Unless you are a crotchety old guy sitting on his back porch with a shotgun and a jug of moonshine, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who is a film that should be appreciated by all ages. Who knows maybe that guy on the back porch might even feel a deep belly laugh well up inside.
Reviewed by Joe Montague
Reviewed March 2008
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