The Cat in the Hat (2003) User Reviews

Very annoying and unfunny movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 3/10 · 8 November 2005]

This movie was really painful to watch. It was an extremely busy and annoying movie without anything funny or original ever happening. The humor was just completely wrong and totally unfunny.

The story is just basically about nothing and only serves as an opportunity for Mike Myers to show his silly antics on the screen. He is however given awful material to work with and an awful imagine-less director to direct him. The movie is annoyingly fast paced at times and it relies to heavily on just Mike Myers. Alec Baldwin does play an enjoyable and good 'villain' and they could had really used him better in this movie. There are really some missed opportunities here...OK I have to admit that there are some good and funny moments but really not enough to save this movie from being a disaster.

I did liked the visual style in this weird typical fabricated world with all those weird looking sets and colors. It really reminded me of the Tim Burton movie "Edward Scissorhands". No wonder it did, director Bo Welch worked on "Edward Scissorhands" as the production designer. Unfortunately the visual style is underused and doesn't play a significant enough role in the movie. While watching this movie I really kept on wishing that Tim Burton would had directed this movie with perhaps starring Johnny Depp, how perfect would that had been?

I don't see how anyone could like this movie and I most certainly can not recommend this movie to anyone, especially not to children. If this was a movie made for children than it was done completely wrong. There is nothing to enjoy or find imaginative in this annoying, loud, too fast paced mess of a movie, that has totally no story and a wobbly message in it.

3/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

20 years later... and it gets a pass

[ryanconduit · 5/10 · 1 October 2022]

Its Hard to believe this movie is almost 20 years old. I was 9 when I first saw this and have maybe seen it once more since today when I gave The Cat in the Hat one more crack. I dont recall ever having much to say about the film, Im even more sure what I thought of it untill the rewatch was it was horrible, but anyway here's a small review... This was in no way a dumpster fire but in no way was it great either, definitely got some good laughs out of it to end it sweet. Mike Myers was definitely a hit or a miss, in some scenes it felt he over acted but in others he hit the nail on the head, as far as a Dr. Seuss film is concerned its a pass and would recommend it for that good old nostalgia hit if you're watching with friends or family.

An okay movie with nice visuals

[ersbel · 10 September 2017]

This is an okay movie. And the visuals are nice. The virtual world is really polished. And the colorful costumes do make a break from the usual movie. The jokes are okay, but nothing special. And the children seem to have fun. But, boy, I had no idea Dr. Seus was a fundamentalist Christian poster boy. That would explain the poor box office results compared with worse movies.

Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch

Poor Dr. Seuss must be rolling in his grave!

[TheLittleSongbird · 1/10 · 19 May 2009]

Dr. Seuss's stories are funny and charming, and some of them like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who have been made into surprisingly good films.(Jim Carrey was brilliant as the Grinch but the animated short is a wonderful timeless classic) However, Cat in the Hat is just a joke of a film. I saw it with four of my friends at the cinema for my 12th birthday 5 or 6 years ago, and all of us hated it.

The main problem is the casting of Mike Myers, or miscasting more like. He was good as Austin Powers and Shrek, but his performance as the Cat was beyond cringe worthy. There were times when he had a preposterous Scottish accent that didn't suit him at all(it sounded nothing like the voice he used on Shrek), and all the Cat had to do was make terrible fart jokes, and sing songs with lyrics that were impossible to decipher.

The script was terrible, full of fart jokes and clichéd one liners. Kids are most unlikely to laugh at the overused bathroom humour, they will a find it unfunny, or b find it offensive. None of the 5 of us laughed once in this movie, other than when the Cat was singing.

The film does have two redeeming qualities. One is some nice scenery in the latter half of the film. The other is Dakota Fanning, who was the only actress in the film who made some effort to make her character true to the story. Kelly Preston was okay, and Alec Baldwin is very good in films like the Shadow and Hunt For Red October, but in films like this and Thomas and the Magic Railroad, he is completely wasted as the villain.

All in all, a lifeless and unfunny film. It isn't quite as abysmal as Home Alone 4, but it is really awful. I am sorry if I have offended anyone, I genuinely hate criticising movies, but Cat in the Hat really did take the biscuit. 1/10 for the scenery and Fanning. Bethany Cox

I cried...It was that awful.

[zombiefan89 · 1/10 · 22 April 2013]

If Dr. Seuss were still alive, he would be VERY disappointed in Hollywood. It's the Cat in the Hat! How do you screw that up!? Mom leaves her kids alone, and a cat shows up. Together with Thing 1 and Thing 2, he causes all sorts of mischief, creating a big mess. Then, when the kids tell him to leave, he feels bad, comes back with a cleaning machine, and fixes everything back to the way it was. Mike Myers, in that horrible costume, was terrifying. Shameless advertising, adult humor, and sexual innuendo had no place in that movie! People were expecting children's movie and ended up with Austin Powers in a freaky cat suit! The bottom line is, in terms of "kid" movies, it's a God awful abomination, and needs to be burned. Just read book or watch the classic cartoon.

Obnoxious and likely to fill many viewers with rage.

[planktonrules · 1/10 · 16 September 2018]

I assumed that "The Cat in the Hat" was most likely a terrible film, as it's currently #79 on IMDB's infamous Bottom 100. This inclusion is recent, as the website changed its parameters for admission to the list to only include more commonly seen films. Before this, films with only a few dozen scores could make the list...now it only includes movies which were rated by at least 1500 users. This change means that many Hollywood films are now on a list which previously was inundated with more independent features. Most of the films newly to the list are dreadful....but being a bad film junkie, I am a glutton for punishment! Going into the film I assumed it would be bad but was willing to give it a chance...like I enjoyed "The Flintsones in Viva Rock Vegas" (currently #70, though I enjoyed it and scored it a 6).

So is the film bad? Absolutely. In fact, it's horrible and painful to watch. There are two main reasons for this. First, the original Dr. Seuss story was very brief and a movie based on it might only last 10 minutes. So, the studio added a lot....and much of what they added (such as the obnoxious boss and the obnoxious neighbor) was just annoying. Second, not to be outdone by these additions, Mike Myers made his character, the Cat, truly obnoxious and hateful. He talks almost non-stop when so often the film would have worked better had he just shut up! A few times, his prattling was also very child un-friendly--with crude commments that most kids wouldn't understand and a shot to the groin that shouldn't be in a kids movie in the first place?! The bottom line is that the film is annoying and dreadful instead of being fun...and the original story was all about kids meeting a cat who was a lot of fun. In many ways, the film is much like an endurance contest that dares you to turn it off....it's THAT bad. By comparison, Myer's "Love Guru" is practically a Truffaut masterpiece!!

Parents...think twice about letting your children see this movie...it might just make them stupider...particularly if they like it! Also, after the movie was over, my wife (who had slept though almost the entire movie) said "Why was that movie so LOUD?!"....I couldn't have said it much better myself!

Awful, One of the Worst Films I Have Ever Seen

[OriginalMovieBuff21 · 1/10 · 2 October 2004]

The Cat in the Hat is just a slap in the face film. Mike Myers as The Cat in the Hat is downright not funny and Mike Myers could not have been any worse. This is his worst film he has ever been in. The acting and the story was just terrible. I mean how could they make the most beloved stories by Dr. Seuss be made into film and being one of the worst films of all-time and such a disappointment. I couldn't have seen a more worst film than this besides, maybe Baby Geniuses. But this film is just so bad I can't even describe how badly they made this film. Bo Welch should be fired or the writer should.

Hedeen's outlook: 0/10 No Stars F

It Will Make You Sad, It Will Drive You Mad, But The Cat In The Hat Is Not That Bad

[jaredpahl · 6/10 · 21 August 2016]

You'll be hard pressed to find a more toxic film than Mike Myers' The Cat In The Hat. It's one of the worst reviewed movies of its decade, by critics and audiences alike. Most found its vulgarity and juvenile sense of humor to be offensive, considering the magical and timeless source material. There's no doubt that Mike Myers' Austin Powers brand of humor is an ill fit for the classic Dr. Seuss story, but if you can power through the shock value inherent in The Cat In The Hat, you'll find a fairly entertaining kids romp with a couple of genuine laughs for adults.

The Cat In The Hat shares the same basic outline from the book, with two kids, Sally and Conrad, having a chance encounter with a life-sized Cat played by Mike Myers. The crux of the story is that general hilarity ensues and the kids must clean up before their mother comes home. It's a great story to tell in a children's picture book; There it is charming, innocent, and whimsical. Here, the hilarity is a strange mix of Mike Myers brand humor and standard kid's potty jokes. The kid stuff is dreadfully unfunny, but I can't say that Mike Myers doesn't infuse some kind of welcome energy to the proceedings.

I may sound like I'm giving this film a glowing review; I'm not. The Cat In The Hat spends much more time with flat gags, needless plot points, and baffling music numbers than it does with the moments of real comedy. The story here meanders through every kind of cliché kiddy movie plot point you can think of, and Mike Myers tries his best to annoy even the most optimistic viewers to tears (He relentlessly shouts "Oh Yeah" like an off-brand Kool-Aid Man... Guess what? That catchphrase ain't sticking).

I'm not here to sing the praises of The Cat In The Hat. I'm not even going to defend it, but call me crazy, I laughed during this movie. I really laughed, at more than a few points in the film. Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin are cute, and the sets are colorful and inventive. This movie has problems for sure, mainly stemming from the fact that the whimsy of the book has been replaced with mean-spirited, gross-out humor. If you can get past that fact, there is fun to be had here. It all depends on what you're willing to sit through for a couple of good laughs.

60/100

It takes 15 minutes for Mike Myers to appear...by then, the movie has already died

[moonspinner55 · 1/10 · 26 July 2010]

The 'family film' comes a cropper. Two rambunctious kids are babysat for the day by a talking cat in a red-and-white striped hat, whose comic shenanigans are meant to teach the tykes about love and responsibility. Three unfortunate screenwriters (Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer) attempted to bring the immortal, unfilmable children's book by Dr. Seuss to the screen, and their sweat-stains are all over the returns. Imaginative art direction and conceptual design do not a movie make...and this one wears out its welcome before the Cat even makes his entrance. There isn't one funny line or performance in the misbegotten enterprise, which director Bo Welch has apparently targeted toward kids with Attention-Deficit Disorder. In the lead, Mike Myers (talking like Bert Lahr doing a Borscht Belt routine) has been made up and costumed with great care and attention, and yet none of his shtick feels fresh. The chaos which erupts (including treating the staircase like a luge--a joke Welch liked so much he repeats it) is mainly a pastiche of highlights from other films. Cheap, ugly, and claustrophobic, the film can't even get by as an oddity because the actors are all straining so hard to sell it. "Beetlejuice" did this type of thing far better...and even "Drop Dead Fred" is preferable. NO STARS from ****

Bright, fun and mischievous!

[Majikat76 · 6/10 · 2 February 2019]

A great little feel good film for the family, with a little moral tale for the kids.

not suitable for kids or adults,not suitable for any age group.

[disdressed12 · 1/10 · 24 February 2007]

this movie is pretty bad.i haven't been this bored in a long time.Alec Baldwin must have been into the sauce when he agreed to do this thing.it's marketed as a kid's movie with a PG rating,but this really isn't a kid's movie.there is some very adult language implied.yet it is not a movie for adults either,because it is so juvenile.so,really this movie is not suitable for anyone.By the way,Mike Meyers looks like a complete idiot as the cat.this movie doesn't strike me as being very faithful to the spirit of the children's book by Dr.Seuss. the only other thing i can say about this movie is it is colourful.otherwise,there is no good reason for anyone to watch this movie.a weak 1/10

Don't listen to the critics, go see this movie and form your own opinion.

[mack3175 · 21 November 2003]

Jim Carrey was The Grinch, and know Mike Myers is The Cat In The Hat. A good kids story taken from the pages of Dr.Seuss. A magical feline(well played by Mike Myers) goes in the home of two siblings named Conrad(Spencer Breslin from last years The Santa Clause 2) and Sally(Dakota Fanning from this years Uptown Girls) and tries to teach them on how to have a fun time, while there mother(Kelly Preston) is at work. But what happens when there scumbag neighbor(perfectly well played by Alec Baldwin) begins to suspect what there up to, and trying to woo there mother at the same time. I liked this movie, it is not overacted like The Grinch was. Mike Myers plays the part in his own way, and his own comic style. And it also had cool special effects. I don't care what the other critics say, I liked this movie.

Well here it goes....

[davispittman · 5/10 · 9 March 2015]

OK, so Dr. Seuss Cat in the hat is Of course a film adaptation of the famous children's book. If given the choice between this or the grinch, choose the grinch!!! Not saying this is awful, but it's by no means good. I thought going in, that this would be a cute little funny family friendly popcorn flick. Um... Let's just say, it's not exactly that. There is no way I'd let anyone under 7/8 watch this movie! From the cat saying "son of a bi...." Thankfully it cuts off, but still, it says 80% of the phrase! That and other mild sexual innuendos just aren't appropriate to be put in a children's movie! And for some odd reason Paris Hilton is in here for a brief cameo. Why???? I did enjoy the repair man gag... I thought that was funny. And I also liked Dakota fanning in this, I thought she did a very good job. I didn't really think Alec Baldwin was the correct choice for his role. So I mean, there are a few moments I laughed through, but Just a few, and I didn't enjoy seeing Some of the inappropriate references, just because I knew children would be seeing this too!

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

[rcavellero · 1/10 · 22 November 2003]

The only way to correctly refer to this insepid piece of horrid trash is to say that it is the prime example of the dumbing down of America. I can't even write a review about this thing! Every single part of it is just plain bad. Some of the set design is cartoonish but uninspired. And the gorgeous and funny Sean Hayes is always welcome. but the bathroom humor and ridiculous make for the wrost film of the year! wow I didn't realize got this bad!

This cat's 9 lives are over

[ShadySovereign · 1/10 · 30 April 2006]

The Cat in the Hat is yet another PG-rated film which defies the laws of film ratings. The movie is supposed to be a kid's film, but sneaks in some mild adult content to get laughs.

This film is unfunny on all levels. Okay, there are probably one or two scenes that made me laugh, but the rest of the movie has stupidly unfunny jokes. Worst of all, the funny parts are supposed to be those that have the mild adult themes. I thought this was a FAMILY movie, not a sex comedy!

I guess only those kids who are spoiled and are used to nudity & porn will like this movie. There is a cameo appearance by Paris Hilton, who has done a sex video before. Maybe those kids who watched her sex tape will love seeing her dance suggestively in this movie. They would also love the mild sexual jokes, since they would understand them. It is sickening to think about the young children knowing about all this adult stuff at a young age.

The cat himself is very annoying. It seems that the filmmakers were trying to make him scary & funny at the same time. They were probably thinking of creating the cat as a Freddy Krueger carbon copy. Freddy is one thousand times funnier than this lame cat. In fact, Freddy could slice him up any time. I would get more laughs that way.

And lastly, of course, this film has nothing to do with the Dr. Seuss books. It's no wonder that the fans of the Dr. Seuss series were angry at this movie. If I was a fan of those books, I would be angry too.

To sum up, this film was really an insult to Dr. Seuss, to nursery rhymes, and to comedy itself. I despised this film on all levels, even if a few parts were funny. Watch this movie only if you're a kid who knows a lot about adult themes.

I give this movie a 0/10.

No. Just no.

[iggyzero · 1/10 · 20 November 2021]

I don't feel like any more needs to be said than just this: no one needs to ever think of or remember this movie. It can be stored away somewhere very far away. I just cannot stand looking at that cat monstrosity for what feels like an eternity.

If you can stomach the appearance of the cat, well, maybe there is hope of a different opinion. I just don't know.

Insert lazy pun here.

[GiraffeDoor · 6/10 · 8 January 2020]

Bombastic, high fructose attempt to realize on set what was never meant to be more than a bedtime story illustration.

Pretty far removed from the tone of the original book, there is so much padding that the whole thing becomes rather risible. it's all fun in a grotesque way but you have to be in the mood to laugh at the lame CGI gorged jokes as well as with them.

Mike Myers makes a pretty vivid Cat who can be a little annoying and more than a little terrifying.

It's stupid, but sometimes stupid things are bizarrely distracting.

Terrible

[jeev7882 · 1/10 · 10 December 2003]

Inappropriate. The PG rating that this movie gets is yet another huge misstep by the MPAA. Whale Rider gets a PG-13 but this movie gets a PG? Please. Parents don't be fooled, taking an elementary school child to this movie is a huge mistake. There were numerous times I found myself being uncomfortable not just because the humor was inappropriate for kids, but also because it was totally out of the blue and unnecessary.

But all that aside, The Cat in the Hat is still a terrible movie. The casting and overall look of the movie are the only saving graces. The beautiful Kelly Preston and the always likeable (or hateable in this case) Alec Baldwin are both good in their roles even though Preston is almost too beautiful for a role like this. The kids are conditioned actors and it shows, especially with Dakota Fanning. Fanning is the only human aspect of the film that kept me watching and not throwing things at the screen.

Did I mention there was an oversized talking cat in this movie? Mike Myers is absolutely deplorable. I didn't like him as the voice of Shrek, and I truly believe now that Myers should not be allowed near the realm of children's films ever again. His portrayal of The Cat is a slightly toned down version of Fat Bastard and Austin Powers.

In the end, the cat should not have come, he should have stayed away, but he came, even if just for a day, he ruined 82 minutes of my life, 82 minutes of personal anger and strife.

The Cat in the Hat may be the worst kids movie ever.

Life changing cinema

[andrewjmarr · 10/10 · 15 February 2021]

Rarely does a a cinematic experience have such a profound affect. Life had ceased to have much meaning, drink had become my only friend, my life was disintegrating around me...just as I had reached my lowest ebb I stumbled across this masterpiece of film making. It was a quasi religious experience. I think it was at the point the cat introduced the dirty hoe, I cannot be sure, but I became filled with joy and renewed purpose. You can be too. So don't listen to the nay sayers, let that counter cultural cat in the hat into your life.

Can't Believe I Got Forced Into WATCHING THIS F@CKIN' THING AT THE MOVIES!

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 1/10 · 14 May 2017]

Cat in the Hat is EVERYTHING WRONG with modern Hollywood-cinema; it's got too many toilet-jokes, doesn't respect the intellect of little kids, and Mike Myers' Cat is TERRIFYING! HE could be in a horror movie and THAT would be equal parts funny as it is horrifying: as per the IT memes that have been spawned from Cat in the Hat memes. This movie is CANCER! Its script is atrocious: it NEVER respects Dr. Seuss' works. The direction is a joke: a f###ing set director made his directorial debut here (WTF?) and why was it Cat in the Hat that he chose to direct? This film has only stingy connections to the original book: the rest of the material is superficial filler-content just to pad-out the story to feature-length status. The acting it the worst: even Mike Myers couldn't redeem this stinker post-Shrek. And besides all that? There's nothing else. The music is less than memorable as well. This is horrible stuff indeed.

Dr. Seuss' wife made the right call in denying future filmmakers from doing anymore live-action movies based on the classic books. And thank goodness!

Dr Seuss would be furious

[dokkelly-120-943270 · 2/10 · 12 July 2020]

This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Dr Seuss rolled in his grave. I usual like Mike Myers but he was terrible in this. Most of the time he just does a stupid laugh and doesn't even look the kids in the face. The acting from the kids seems like they weren't even trying. Even the make-up is poor. The cat looks like one of those photo things in amusement parks where you stick your face through it, and don't even get me started on Thing 1 and Thing 2. It thinks it's being clever by inserting innuendos but it just comes across as desperate. The only positive thing I can say is the sets are kind of fun because of Bo Welch, who helped with a lot of Tim Burton Productions. But aside from that I have nothing. Terrible movie, stay away

An insult to the memory of Dr. Seuss

[drdave · 1/10 · 8 December 2003]

This horrible butchering of a wonderful book was not worth price of the free passes I had to see it. Note to Hollywood: you can not improve upon perfection. If you are not going to be faithful the the original (as was the 1960's Grinch cartoon), then don't bother. Below is my critique for the true Seuss fan. Note that each sentence below should start on a new line, but I could force the IMDB software to format that way :-(

It stunk at the beginning. It stunk at the end. It stunk in the middle - I'm warning you, friend. It stunk in the day and it stunk in the night. Any way you look at it this movie's not right.

Ignore the movie and read the book. Walk out of the theater, don't give it a look. Go straightaway home, as fast as you can, by car or by bus or by train or by van. Avoid this abomination or you will be sad. Enjoy the original and you will be glad.

Maybe they should have hired the Elf in a hat.

[wastebot · 5/10 · 25 November 2003]

Better than the average christmas movie, but the average christmas movie is worse than average.

I generally do not like christmas movies, but I do enjoy Dr. Seuss cartoons. This is not a christmas movie. It probably has been promoted as such for marketing, which is never an indication that you are about to see a great movie.

It simply is not funny enough. The movie can not, literally, spell fun. That is not my opinion alone. The audience I saw it with was not impressed either.

That said, it has enjoyable moments and is not devoid of meaning. It seems really targeted at the 8-14 audience.

As for the FX, OK, but nothing special. Nor is the audio anything special. So bad, in fact, that the movie has Meyers making fun of it. And that is pretty much the highlight of Meyers humor. He is much funnier bald than in fur. The Looney Tunes folks could improve their movies significantly by hiring him as Elmer Fudd.

What a Horrible Movie!!!

[chcolter · 1/10 · 21 November 2003]

How do you answer this question " Uncle Cliff why did the Cats hat go up when he looked at the picture?" ... Yes how do you explain why a cat got an erection when looking at a picture to a five year old.

What a lame piece of work this is... bury it in the cat box! as far from human eyes as possible! It is so bad! My niece actually asked to leave before the movie was even finished, and the child on the other side of me fell asleep.

Bad, Horrible, rotten, not fit for human consumption and i'm a Mike Myers fan!