Horton Hears a Who! (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'Horton Hears a Who!' is a Dr. Seuss animated film directed by Jimmy Hayward & Steve Martino. One day, Horton the elephant (voiced by Jim Carrey) hears a cry from help coming from a tiny speck of dust. He can’t see anyone in/on the speck, but he wants to help it anyway. You see, the speck of dust is home to the 'Whos', a community from the city of Whoville (as referenced in 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'). Horton agrees to protect them from the dangerous jungle he lives in. None of Horton’s animal friends believe this Whoville story. Some even devise plan(s) to ruin the speck for spite. The story's aim is to show its' audience that no matter how big or small you are, you still matter. The 3D animation is superb. Some moments are enjoyable. But overall, I felt this to be a lazy effort.
Thanks to his enormous ears, Horton was able to hear the 'Whos' in the first place. Being very careful (something that’s hard for a huge elephant), Horton captures the speck on the tip of a hot pink clover flower. With time & much energy, he's able to finally communicate with the mayor of Whoville (a flat-voiced Steve Carrell). The mayor expresses to Horton that they wish to be placed somewhere safe or else their entire world will be ruined. Once jungle-leader, Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) hears this story, she gets quite upset. “If you can’t see it, it's not there”, she exclaims.
And so, Horton would have no help in getting the speck to an elevated, safe place in the jungle. To further hamper Horton's journey, Kangaroo hires a vulture, Vlad (Will Arnett) to eliminate the speck altogether. While that drama brews, drama is kindled down in Whoville. The mayor (with his 96 children & wife) is having a difficult time convincing his people that an elephant is talking to him through their atmosphere. They don’t believe the imminent danger that is upon him. Will Whoville be prepared for what's ahead? Will Horton be able to complete his honorable task? Or will Kangaroo & Vlad succeed in their seemingly-evil plan?
There are some stellar aspects of 'Horton Hears a Who!'. I loved the character of Horton, and feel that Jim Carrey did a great job with the voice-over. I liked Vlad the vulture as a villain. I think the blending of a Dr. Deuss world with CGI-3D animation was visually successful. The 'look' of the film is, hands down, its best attribute. I also enjoyed the last 2 minutes where the entire cast breaks out into song. That said, I came away from the film with little more than a passable family-friendly feel for it. Dr. Seuss deserves better than that. Execution-wise, the film is slightly-better-than-average. Parts of the story are laborious (many Whoville segments). But overall, it's a decent take-your-kid-to-the-theater flick. And I like its positive message.
Thanks to his enormous ears, Horton was able to hear the 'Whos' in the first place. Being very careful (something that’s hard for a huge elephant), Horton captures the speck on the tip of a hot pink clover flower. With time & much energy, he's able to finally communicate with the mayor of Whoville (a flat-voiced Steve Carrell). The mayor expresses to Horton that they wish to be placed somewhere safe or else their entire world will be ruined. Once jungle-leader, Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) hears this story, she gets quite upset. “If you can’t see it, it's not there”, she exclaims.
And so, Horton would have no help in getting the speck to an elevated, safe place in the jungle. To further hamper Horton's journey, Kangaroo hires a vulture, Vlad (Will Arnett) to eliminate the speck altogether. While that drama brews, drama is kindled down in Whoville. The mayor (with his 96 children & wife) is having a difficult time convincing his people that an elephant is talking to him through their atmosphere. They don’t believe the imminent danger that is upon him. Will Whoville be prepared for what's ahead? Will Horton be able to complete his honorable task? Or will Kangaroo & Vlad succeed in their seemingly-evil plan?
There are some stellar aspects of 'Horton Hears a Who!'. I loved the character of Horton, and feel that Jim Carrey did a great job with the voice-over. I liked Vlad the vulture as a villain. I think the blending of a Dr. Deuss world with CGI-3D animation was visually successful. The 'look' of the film is, hands down, its best attribute. I also enjoyed the last 2 minutes where the entire cast breaks out into song. That said, I came away from the film with little more than a passable family-friendly feel for it. Dr. Seuss deserves better than that. Execution-wise, the film is slightly-better-than-average. Parts of the story are laborious (many Whoville segments). But overall, it's a decent take-your-kid-to-the-theater flick. And I like its positive message.