Horton Hears a Who! (2008) User Reviews

Fast-paced and touching step up for Blue Sky

[Jay_Exiomo · 8/10 · 21 March 2008]

I guess it wouldn't be remiss if I've approached "Horton Hears a Who!" with some reservations as the trailers were anything but something to be excited about. Had it not been for the Whos and the Dr. Seuss tag that comes with the title, this latest computer-animated film from the "Ice Age" team would come off as yet another animal-on-a-mission flick straight from the assembly line. And films adapted from one of Dr. Seuss' books haven't been as successful as when they were in print, to put it lightly.

A relatively neutered Jim Carrey provides the voice for Horton, an elephant who hears a voice from a floating speck and discovers that there are people actually living in it in a place called Who-ville. Called the Whos, these people have a Mayor (voiced by an also-neutered Steve Carrell) who has 96 daughters and a son who won't speak. It's up to Horton to find a safe place for the speck to save Who-ville from destruction, even as the well-meaning pachyderm has to avoid all sorts of obstacles, including Sour Kangaroo, Vlad the Vulture, the Wickersham brothers, and other metaphors of McCarthyism.

As usual with such a thin material, the film has the obligatory additional scenes to pad the running time but all in all, it captures the spirit of its source, and it's a case where a G-rated film provides entertainment both to kids and their older companions as well. (I would have said "a rare case" but in this country, the G-rating is applied more liberally by the local censor board.) The animation is consistently good and a Japanese-inspired traditional animation does not feel out of place from the overall enjoyment material. The voice cast, according to the credits, involves some relatively big names, but other than Carrey and Carrell, none of the actors take attention from their characters and thus do not distract.

Fast-paced and touching, "Horton Hears a Who!" represents a step up for Blue Sky Studios, who has played supporting roles to Pixar and Dreamworks. I'm tempted to say that it's the best Dr. Seuss film adaptation ever, but that won't be saying much considering the other films involved. So maybe I'll just say it's one of the best animated films, which is anyway true.

A Person Is a Person No Matter How Small

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 5 October 2008]

In the jungle of Nool, the elephant Horton hears a voice in a speck; he uses a clover to rescue the speck of dust and he makes contact with the Mayor of Whoville. Horton discovers that in that tiny speck there is a city crowded of people and he decides to leave Whoville in a safe place. However, the evil Kangaroo does not believe in his words and finds Horton dangerous for the children of Nool, making them believe in what they can not see, hear or feel, and incites the animals against Horton.

With the message "A Person Is a Person No Matter How Small", "Horton Hears a Who!" is a lesson of respect and rights of the minorities through hilarious situations. The animation is awesome, the characters are nice and I liked this great family entertainment. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Horton e o Mundo dos Quem!" ("Horton and the World of Who!")

True Telling instead of an Adaptation

[voicesmp · 8/10 · 10 March 2008]

Third time seems to be a charm for the big screen adaptations of Dr. Seuss. Finally, the film world has gotten it write in the presentation of Horton Hears A Who. There is no added surprises to this film, unlike its predecessors The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat. The storyline follows the book almost exactly, with the extra time coming from adding detail instead of adding new events.

Jim Carey does a great job in bringing the character of Horton to live, without being completely over the top. Carol Burnett as the Sour Kangaroo brings just enough fright to her role as to not completely darken the story. The characters are brought to live with the pure intent of the Dr. Seuss without seeming fake.

This is a great film for kids, especially those who know the story very well. There are enough jokes that sneak over little heads to keep adults entertained as well.

Very Well Done Film

[joecantongamingguru · 7/10 · 6 March 2008]

I'm telling the truth...i thought this movie would be a stinker from the teaser trailer and TV spots but this surprised me as well as every other person at the screening. It even surprised the film operator! Anyway, the great voice cast voiced by some great actors, Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell and even Seth Rogen(which is a nice change for him, from all his dirty cursing roles(don't get me wrong,i love him in those roles)). Dane Cook was a little annoying, but it wont really distract you from the big picture. In this film, Steve Carrell is the Mayor of Who-Ville, a town on a dandelion full of tiny people. Jim Carrey plays Horton...who is a elephant who finds a dandelion, picks it and figures out he must protect it because of Who-ville. Seth Rogen plays a rat like creature in his role. A supporting cast with Amy Poehler, Jonah Hill, Dan Fogler and much more. This film is great for little kids and a surprising delight for adults.

Sweet kids movie with a good message

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 January 2014]

Horton the elephant (Jim Carrey) from the jungle of Nool hears a voice coming from a speck of dust. It turns out to be the voice of the Mayor (Steve Carell) of the microscopic town of Whoville where the Whos live. He tries to save the speck by placing it on top of Mount Nool. But nobody believes him, and the strict Kangaroo endeavors to stop him. No matter what the obstacle, Horton must save the Whos. After all, a person is a person, no matter how small.

I find both sides of the story very touching. Neither character is believed by anybody. Yet they both risk it all for what they believe. The ending is especially touching. It doesn't get better than the idealism of Horton. I love Horton crossing the bridge, but Vlad may be too much. It puts a little too much ugly danger in an otherwise beautiful kids cartoon. It's a short movie, and they probably needed to pad it to fill out a full movie. It's a sweet kids movie with a good message.

I do like, Sam I am

[cryofry · 9/10 · 14 March 2008]

So far, this is the best possible example of bringing a Dr. Seuss book to life. The animation is top notch and the design of the characters stay true to Dr. Seuss' vision. Overall, a splendid effort from 20th Century Fox.

"Horton" tells the story of an eccentric elephant named Horton (voice of Jim Carrey) who stumbles upon a floating speck that is actually an infinitesimal world that is home to thousands of tiny little creatures called Whos. Though microscopic, the world known as Whoville is a land of technological achievement. The Whos are intelligent little creatures who are strange in appearance.

The Major of Whoville (voice of Steve Carell) is the first person to come into contact with Horton after he hears his voice in a drainpipe. Like Horton, he has a somewhat bizarre personality, so no one believes him when he claims that the world is going to end. Likewise, no one believes Horton when he claims that a race of people are living on the diminutive speck.

After he is somewhat shunned by his friends and society, Horton sets off on the misadventure of his lifetime to relocate the speck to a safe location so that the citizens of Whoville can live in peace once more.

Again, this is a great film for all ages. Kids will lap up the lush animation while parents can have a chuckle at the adult jokes that are scattered throughout. Dr. Seuss would be proud.

Well, who knew!

[imnotinsane1 · 6/10 · 9 April 2008]

There is a world out there that if you haven't heard of it, you're not a kid or never even *been* one. A world of insane imagination and the most creative ideas imaginable, told in the form of wacky but forever appealing poetry-style story-telling. This is the world created by Dr. Seuss, possibly one of the most iconic children's authors of all time. But his stories are in an odd place as of late, as the world of Hollywood looks up to his stories for inspiration on new movie projects. The first one was carried off well ("The Grinch"), but the next one didn't ("The Cat in the Hat") but there was still something missing to make these adaptations just right and that was to give up doing live-action and do it in animation, where practically anything could happen without as much pressure to make as live-action movies would be so to hear (pun unintentional, title's pun is) about "Horton Hears a Who" being an animated production, unlike these two movies, naturally I was very excited to see the end result.

Now, I have just yesterday so off I go with a review! The first thing that really struck me with this movie, which is also the best thing about it overall, was the animation. Blue Sky Studios, the people behind the "Ice Age" trilogy (third movie in production) are a trustworthy studio when it comes to making some really delightful and appealing pieces of CGI but with "Horton", they seem to have outdone even what they themselves thought about their talents! Without exaggeration, the animation is effortlessly stunning through and through and remained absolutely true to Dr. Seuss' playful and appealing drawing style as well as putting in a few new things that don't get in the way. In short, the animation *alone* is a good enough reason to see the movie, hands down.

There are added characters in the movie that weren't from the original book but pretty much all of them are not a nuisance and don't get in the way of the storyline so no one should worry, even if a lot of them don't add much. As for the original characters themselves, they are portrayed as they should be and any change to the characters is not easy to notice which is good enough.

Original story itself is adapted and carried off well and isn't spoilt by anything else in the movie. The back story of JoJo and the Mayor's relationship can feel a little odd at first but they've managed to blend this well with the original story and it's easy to get used to after a tiny amount of time.

The movie's most obvious problem however is that it does tend to focus heavily on humour in a lot of scenes and there are too many jokes that aren't really necessary, a few of them will sadly even date the movie in coming years (I won't say which ones they are here, you have to see for yourself) but thankfully the story manages to stay intact still and besides, there is quite a lot of jokes (that had a purpose) that were really *hilarious* so it's not a total disappointment. As for Jim Carey and Steve Carell? Well, they could have been better but they were good enough for me to say that they were good choices.

So overall, "Horton Hears a Who" is a good enough effort from Blue Sky Studios and good enough for me to say that it's a decent film. Really could have done without so many unnecessary jokes but the animation and good story adaptation make up for it. Worth checking out! I rate this: 6 out of 10.

• Eric.

Very cute and so much fun! Dr. Suess would be proud

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 9/10 · 14 March 2008]

I saw the first teaser trailer for Horton Hears a Who a few months ago, and I have to say that it was a little off putting, it looked kind of strange and like it might be another Cat in the Hat lousy movie, but then they started advertising it a little more and it looked more cute. So I decided to check the film out today and I am really impressed, so far I'd say this is the best animated film of 2008 that I've seen. I remember reading the book as a child, it's one of my old time favorite's, you could never go wrong with Dr. Suess. When it comes to his films being put up on the silver screen, excluding the 40 minute cartoon classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas, other films like The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat have been ultimate flops and horrible. But Horton Hears a Who proves otherwise and is a wonderful film to watch.

Horton is an elephant just enjoying life, he's a teacher and is loved very much by the little animals of the jungle. But his life is about to change when he sees a little speck and saves it, inside this speck is a little town of Whoville. The mayor of Whoville has asked Horton to take them to a safe place before his town is destroyed. Seems like an easy enough task for Horton, until an angry mother, Kangaroo, feels like Horton and his speck are a bad influence amongst the children, and wishes to destroy the speck and trap Horton.

Horton Hears a Who is such a wonderful film. For a book that you can finish in half an hour, they did a great job filling in other lines and such great jokes. The great thing is there is no pop culture or over the top jokes, they just go old school and make this film fun and original. The actors seemed like they just had a great time getting into character, Steve Carell and Jim Carrey are a brilliant combination, so their voices added a lot to the film. The animation was clever and colorful, it was a joy to watch. I very much recommend Horton Hears a Who, it's a terrific family film and just a fun movie to watch for the afternoon, I think Dr. Suess would be very proud too.

9/10

A Nutshell Review: Horton Hears a Who!

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 12 March 2008]

I've got to make a mental note that movies that have trailers playing in the cinemas for the longest time, do not a boring movie make, even if the first half of the movie plays like the extended version of the trailer, telling us things we already know, spelling out the premise all over again.

Jim Carrey and Steve Carell unite on the big screen again after their short pairing up in Bruce Almighty, although this time they're animated as animals / creatures from Dr Seuss' fictional world. Jim Carrey voices Horton, an elephant who in moments where you least expect, spew lines of poetry as dialogue. We're introduced to his character from the onset, though his backstory isn't really fleshed out, except that there are those (like the Kangaroo) who hates all for what he stands for. And simply put, Horton exudes all qualities typical of what elephants are made out to be - excellent memory, frightened about the unknown, and trustworthiness.

These qualities are put to the test when he chances upon a speck on a clover. That speck turns out to be home for an ecosystem populated by Whos, minute creatures who seem to live very mundane, repetitive lives in their very own little paradise. Things start to go awry, especially with severe environmental changes, and despite the Mayor of Whoville (Carell) warning of the great unknown out there, like all predictors of impending doom, get ridiculed by the population. So begins the friendship between HOrton, trying to protect the world of his new found friend by relocating the speck to safe haven, and the Mayor, who must warn his disbelieving population about more dangers to come.

For a while it drags on, with childish banter between the two lead characters, and the plot by Horton haters to bring him down by destroying his toy of the moment, not acknowledging his mantra that a person's a person, no matter how small. They want proof, and they're not getting any, since the Whos are also laughing at the fact that there are bigger creatures out there, outside the realms of their known atmosphere. It's as if one's trying to convince a large group of atheist that there is a supreme being up there and he's up there watching our every move (ok, so Horton doesn't actually get to see them, but you get my drift).

But the struggling with existentialism, is what made Horton Hears a Who shine brightly, and made the ticket worthwhile. A pity we have to really wait out for it, but at least these tense moments came, better late than never, that really brought out enough drama and excitement that I never saw coming my way. Otherwise, the animation's pretty standard fare in 2D, and chock full of supporting characters (voiced by Seth Rogen, Carol Burnett, Dan Fogler, Isla Fisher, Amy Poehler and Jaime Pressly et al) just to ramp up the cute factor, without giving them much to do anyway, though I must admit the gorillas almost always crack me up (you should see what they can do with their bananas!)

Smart to debut this during the school holidays this week to catch hold of school going kids. Oh, and get yourself into the hall early as you'll get to see Ice Age's Scrat up to his antics to promote Ice Age 3, due on in Summer 2009 (yes, 2009!)

It has good animation, and some thoughtful ideas.

[havoke-74121 · 5/10 · 18 December 2020]

Adapting this from a children's book with few pages, it's just stretched out by this 86 minute run time. As much as I like "Jim carrey" playing Horton the Elephant, the direction it takes him and the characters, feels far too manic for its own good. It just feels too crazy. This is an animated film that would have benefitted from just slowing down, or maybe just going to timeout for a minute.

Hilarious!!!!

[fwgrhouse · 10/10 · 14 March 2008]

I went and saw this movie with my high school drama group, we had recently done Suessical for a school musical and I played the Mayor of Whoville, and I enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish. The cast of this film did an outstanding job with the voices of the characters, Jim Carrey is most notable in my opinion. Steve Carell also did an amazing job as the Mayor of Whoville.It also has good, clean humor that is both funny and suitable for all ages. I laughed through nearly 90% of the film and I didn't see one thing that would be deemed inappropriate for someone young. This movie lives up to the legacy of the book and I don't care what age you are, you will laugh out loud and enjoy this hilarious Dr. Seuss movie.

Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 7/10 · 23 January 2020]

The animation was good and the story pretty entertaining. There were some nice family dynamics and the drama was enough to make the movie interesting.

Seuss would have hated it.

[coneyretard · 1/10 · 12 April 2008]

This movie fell into the same trap as just about every Hollywood animation of the last 6 years. It talks down to the kids while spending too much time throwing zingers over their heads to keep the parents engaged. There's no story told here in any sort of engaging way. It relies on the brightness of the animation, attention deficit editing and over the top scoring to keep the young ones stunned while hitting their parents with soggy hidden adult jokes and nostalgic music. The moral of the story is supposedly that imagination is something to be valued but the story telling on display actually does a horrible job of leaving any room for kids to actually use their own imaginations in engaging with the story. It does more to deaden the complicated sentiments expressed by Seuss so well in the original book. Instead of activating kids' imaginations, this movie simply displays the self satisfied and over saturated imaginations of it's directors and animators. There's literally no room left for the audience in this movie.

"WE ARE HERE!"

[adamjohns-42575 · 6/10 · 22 February 2021]

I have been quite surprised with the Dr Seuss films lately. After the disappointment of the first 'Grinch' and 'The Cat In The Hat', this one, 'The Lorax' and the 2018 'Grinch' have all been really well done and very funny and clever too.

It's a lovely story anyway and this version does it great justice with that modern twist to bring it to a new audience. Yet it still contains so many great messages for everyone -

Stand up for what you believe in. Even the smallest voice can and should be heard. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. A persons a person no matter how small. (That's particularly relevant for my Niece Eleanor who is diddy!) And so many more. . .

They have also created such wonderful worlds to look in to. Wouldn't it be so much more fun to live in a world like that where the houses aren't all square and boring and things are all just so much more colourful and fun. I'm sure it could be possible if we tried. Somebody get Kevin McLeod on the phone??

The voice actors are all well chosen too, not necessarily my favourite actors in general, but in these roles they certainly do shine. Jim Carrey was an inspired choice for the ever endearing and loveable Horton, despite the fact he usually aggravates me.

The artists should get a mention too, they have obviously worked hard.

I think this will stand the test of time, being, as it is, another world entirely and having morals that will sadly still need to be taught for at least a few more generations.

Horton hears a who

[abdulcantell · 22 March 2008]

Steve Carrell and Jim Carrey doing voices for an animated film, now that is just amazing! During the entire movie you could feel the emotion and you almost saw Jim Carrey's face as he spoke. A 7/10 I reckon this is going to be a classic!

For the movie itself as i said before putting Carrey and Carrell was a great idea. The effect evident in this movie through their collaboration was absolute,infinite, dynamite!! For those of you out there who think that because of the bright,colourful colours this film is for kids well boy are you wrong. You will laugh until you vomit. I was literally rolling around and vibrating in my seat the entire time and was shot concerned looks across the cinema. In conclusion this film could be bigger than "How the Grinch stole Christmas"

Some of the best animated madness is mixed with some of the blandest

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 30 March 2008]

Beautifully animated retelling of the Dr Suess tale of Horton the elephant finding the speck of dust where Whoville resides and then having to protect it from danger. As good as the film looks its an uneven affair. Brilliant set pieces (anime homage) and jokes (monkeys stuffing bananas in their mouths) are followed by exposition and bits that confuse humor with busy action. Despite or because of some of the best cartoon jokes in years the film still disappointed me- how could a film that is capable of such cleverness so often miss the mark? Okay it doesn't miss the mark so much as be be dull (or not live up to the mark the good stuff sets for itself). Half way in I was annoyed enough to want to leave. The one thing that doesn't disappoint is the voice cast with Jim Carrey fine and not too silly as Horton, Steve Carrell as the Mayor quite good, Carol Burnett evil as the Kangaroo and Charles Osgood wonderful as the narrator.

Worth a look at some point...probably on DVD or cable.

Finally, a film that does justice to one of Dr. Suess's childhood favorites!!

[johnnymacbest · 10/10 · 11 March 2008]

For the first time in years, I can state wholeheartedly that this film is the most faithful adaptation of Dr. Suess's children's books EVER being brought to the big screen with the voice talents of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and of course, Carol Burnett. I've never thought that Suess's cartoon illustrations can be so wonderfully spot on in this film with its bright, crisp colors, and flawless animation. What's great about all this is that they expand upon the film, rather than improving it with excess baggage like they did in 2004's live-action flop "The Cat in The Hat" which pretty much was "The Batman & Robin" adaptation of the classic children's book and I hated that film with an utmost loathsome passion. At least "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" was entertaining in its own right, though I admit it too was a little nauseating; namely because some scenes had so many garishly lit colors and was a bit too over the top. With all that aside, "Horton Hears a Who" not only will be the best animated film of the year, but may also win an Oscar for "Most Faithful Adaptation of a Children's Classic". I think this film will appeal to children and adults and for those who read the book since childhood not to mention serve as another venue of wholesome family entertainment for the general audience.

Gripping end

[nagabgrajan · 7/10 · 25 October 2019]

I'm sure you didnt think you would see that headline for this movie. Well I wouldnt have expected it for an animated movie. The last half hour was the best part according to me. But Horton is a refreshing character that makes me think I should go and look at life as is once in a while atleast. I loved the scene on the bridge. Also, some of the dialogues and jokes were brilliant. Overall, i would say it's definitely worth the watch.

Knock knock, whos are there

[shrinkingman06 · 9/10 · 14 March 2008]

It's interesting to see a pretty big creature like Horton concerned with protecting the tiniest creatures of all...even if the others in the jungle of Nool may not believe that's he's right about all those tiny people on the speck (well, maybe Rudy, the Sour Kangaroo's son, may think he could be right...)

Lovable characters like Horton, who can be serious at times (and is truly determined) but also wild-and-crazy, full of imagination and whimsy. Like the mayor, who is determined to protect his city from the dangers they're now being exposed to (who will protect the protector? "A giant elephant, up in the sky!... Don't bother to look, he's invisible...")

Had to admit a tear--of joy--rolled down my cheek at the end. Highly recommended! The look of the film is visually stunning, and a good voice cast (CBS Radio's Charles Osgood narrates; the mayor and his wife are Steve Carrell and Amy Poehler, and Jim Carrey of course is Horton. Carol Burnett plays the sour Kangaroo. And Jesse McCartney voices JoJo, and let's just say he didn't have too many lines to remember :)

A great animated movie!

[bryanplateado · 7/10 · 27 February 2021]

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! is a great animated movie. It features great performances from Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, a really good script that I really admire, and amazing animation from Blue Sky Studios. There are some flaws with this movie though. The execution of the plot doesn't payoff that well, a lot of jokes don't really land and are not that funny, and what I also didn't really like is that the filmmakers relied heavily on the actors to carry the movie, which distracts me and loses potential on being a better movie. Besides that, Horton Hears a Who! is an entertaining movie that is really good for kids and families.

Who would've thunk?

[GSmith9072 · 5/10 · 17 March 2008]

Unlike many Dr. Seuss Nazis, I wasn't about to have a conniption if Blue Sky's "Horton Hears a Who" wasn't 100 percent faithful to the source material, but only if it were able to develop an actual idea and personality all its own. Of course, I'd have to visit the twilight zone to observe any innovation of that sort that isn't wretched and vile such as the likes of "The Cat in the Hat". Shockingly, this bland little inoffensive children's flick was the first modern Seuss remake I've seen that didn't apply gross out humor or reprehensible scenes that shouldn't be shown to people under age 12 (actually, to anyone with cognitive brain functioning). This is clearly evident in that it differed from the hard hitting and uninspired gags like those in the Ice Age films and settled for a warm almost verbatim cgi recreation of the classic children's tale, sexism and all. The animation is passable, lacking any interesting exercise of the medium. It has nice color scheme and basically everything else it needs to satisfy the most tightly-wound fans of the original story. That being said, the film becomes nothing more than it's source material. The characters lack dimension, and the film as a whole remains flat, only given any sense of character from Suess' mind. The films occasional meanderings include an overly long Japanese anime spoof, funny in its own right but adding nothing but confusion to the rest of the film's content. The message of the movie is certainly welcome, whether you're simple enough to hijack a nice children's story to tout anti abortion ideas, or if you want to take from it what a small child would; to care about others despite their differences, status, or what other people may think about them. It's all the magic of what makes the books so enticing. Perhaps it's even effective enough to pose the first pieces of philosophical ideas in youngsters. Aside from all that, it's a fun film and moderately tolerable for those the kids drag along. It really should be questioned however if four years of labor and expense should only come to this. Truthfully, even though none of these Seuss films really do it for me cinematically, this was one of better ones.

Who-larious!

[moutonbear25 · 8/10 · 16 March 2008]

Dr. Seuss has not always found fortune when making his way from page to screen. But, this latest incarnation is the most who-larious I've ever seen. Get it? Who-larious? Like "hi-larious" but with "who". As in all the Who's down in Whoville and little Cindy Lou Who? Fine, roll your eyes but you'd be rhyming too if you stopped being so cynical and saw HORTON HEARS A WHO! It's funny; it's goofy; it's surprising and loopy. It's colorful and flashy; it's unexpected and splashy. Wait. Splashy? Is that even a word? I needed something to rhyme with flashy and what I came up with was absurd. Sorry, I promise I won't rhyme all the way through. Besides I'm no match for Dr. You-Know-Who. It's just that this movie is so darn adorable when all the previous Seuss movies have been basically horrible. The spirit of the book remains completely intact but it's modern somehow and as a matter of fact, the ideas have expanded without looking back. Now, thanks to the good folks at Blue Sky, the studio that gave us ICE AGE before this, Dr. Seuss can rest easy, his legacy revered and no longer amiss. So pack up your car, pack up your girl and your boy and bring them to see Horton, a movie the whole family can… hmm, what rhymes with "boy"? Employ? Coy? Toy? Nevermind. Bring them to see Horton, a movie the whole family can appreciate.

All that rhyming was mildly exhausting. Let's move on to the intellectualizing portion of this review. When HORTON HEARS A WHO! was originally published in 1954, Dr. Seuss gave his young readers an important lesson about how any voice, no matter how small it may appear to be, can change the world. Screenwriters, Ken Dario and Cinco Paul, have developed the confidence-boosting tale into a much grander take on societal hierarchies, the power of the imagination and the possibility that we are not alone in this universe. The very big elephant, Horton (voiced in a lovably whimsical fashion of fancy by Jim Carrey), randomly finds the tiniest world in the most unexpected of places, a spec of dust that has flown past him to eventually rest comfortably on a clover. It turns out that this world is known as Whoville. It plays home to hundreds if not thousands of Who's and is run by a Who known only as The Mayor. You can only imagine The Mayor's surprise when Horton finally makes contact with him. Now imagine that surprise voiced by the self-deprecating, neurotic genius of Steve Carrell. Together, Carell and Carey play perfectly off each other as their performances are based in the knowledge that Horton and The Mayor are not nearly as different as they initially appear. Though one is huge and one is small, they both know the meaning of responsibility and importance of helping all who need.

Of course, back in the Jungle of Nool that Horton calls home, no one believes his story about the people on the spec, so he must go it alone. This would be fine if it weren't for one kangaroo (Carol Burnett), the self-proclaimed ruler of this particular jungle. Horton's flagrant use of his imagination could inspire others and before you know it, all you got is anarchy. And so the door is opened to one of many lessons that give this fable a great richness. While children are not often discouraged to use their imaginations, here they are encouraged to support what they believe to be true inside of their hearts. In doing so, they should even challenge the status quo. Combine that with Horton's perseverance, dedication and loyalty to his cause as well as The Mayor's ability to rally his people together by overcoming his insecurity to become a great leader and you've got a family film focused on promoting fine values instead of promotional products for a refreshing change. The best part is that the lessons never take away from the fun!

I know I wouldn't have an easy time if a giant elephant I couldn't see informed me that my whole universe was nothing more than a spec of dust. This is why I'm not in charge of the planet, I suppose. Although slightly less jarring, I was also thrown and most certainly impressed by the existential depth of HORTON HEARS A WHO! Who knew that an animated family flick could challenge the young minds of children the world over to think for second about the fragility and preciousness of life itself while cracking them up non-stop and without freaking them out? Horton knew; that's who!

Oh wait … JOY!! Joy rhymes with boy. Right.

A lot better than the previous Dr. Suess'

[judywalker2 · 6/10 · 16 March 2008]

I didn't like the Grinch or the Cat in the hat probably because they were live action and didn't do justice to the animated versions. I liked the movie and it was probably more fun for adults than children. A lot of jokes were well over their heads. It also was slow in parts and didn't seem to have anything that would resonate with small children. I took my four year grandson and he got fidgety about halfway. I have to say the animation was great. They really did a great job with the colors and Horton. Whoville was great too but we really didn't get a sense of the people of Whoville or JoJo who is such an important character in the book. Last I have to say the I agree with the critics the ending musical number was totally wrong. 6/10

Didn't care for it

[aholster-1 · 1/10 · 19 April 2008]

My daughter talked about seeing this movie for weeks before we went to see it, as it is based on two of her favorite Dr. Seuss books - Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg. Unfortunately, they completely twisted the characters around and stuck in too much cinematography and filler and got away from the plot. The jokes were corny and my 4-year-old daughter was visibly bored throughout the whole movie. She has loved the movies we went to see in the past, but she said the movie wasn't anything like the book and wanted to know why Horton acted so crazy in the movie. She didn't let out a smile or a chuckle throughout the entire movie (and neither did I). While I appreciate that the movie wasn't offensive (We made the mistake of suffering through Cat in the Hat), it just didn't successfully stretch out two short children's books into a full-length movie. It sacrificed plot for visual effects and forced jokes and I just didn't find the movie funny, or even entertaining. And, frankly, my daughter likes just about anything, and she didn't enjoy the movie. As she is the target audience of Dr. Seuss books, I found that unfortunate. We'll stick to the books.

I know Audrey Geisel loves her late husband, but please stop selling the rights to his works to everyone. That isn't what he stood for.

Anime on a Speck

[tedg · 21 March 2008]

You will probably not like this for the simple reason that as a movie it could never stand as far above other movies as it does as a book above other books.

Even among Seuss books it is a sort of marvel. Its structure is such that it balances a story where the point is belief in an invisible deity, with a story about intolerant believes. Its spirit and inquisition and seeing it today, I imagined the great, great divide in my city.

You see, we have radical Christian fundamentalists, the kind that belief in intelligent design. And we have.. Let's say, folks who are sensitized to intolerance. I imagine both of these will go home thinking this story was written for them.

Its a marvelous creation that way: a story about two worlds, balanced between two worlds.

Alas, it lacked oompf, except for two things. One was the inclusion of an impression and quote from JFK. It really had power and almost became the center of the thing.

The other thing was a matter of enlightened film-making, a technique which I call folding. How do you make a cartoon seem closer to reality? Especially a cartoon whose form is inflexibly fantastic because it has to copy the book.

Why, you do that by inserting another cartoon in it, one that follows Ted's law, the law that the fold within has to be the same level of abstraction down as the containing film is from the viewer's world. That's what we have here, a sort of parody of Japanese anime. Its amazingly well chosen and does what is intended.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.