Dr Seuss's Horton Hears A Who! (2008); animated family film review

Poster artwork for the animated comedy family film Horton Hears A Who!

Passionate Pachyderm by Linh

Horton Hears A Who! is a computer generated animated feature from the makers of the Ice Age films, and is based on Dr Seuss’s ‘Horton’ series of children’s books. It’s the third Dr Seuss tale brought to the big screen following its predecessors, The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat. The previous two films were less successful live action films, yet Horton is an animated joy which delights the imagination and evokes the essence of Dr Seuss’s text.

The story tells of a friendly and imaginative elephant named Horton who hears a cry for help from a speck of dust floating through the air. Horton suspects there’s a community living on the speck that needs his help, but no-one would believe him. Horton then makes contact with an inhabitant of the speck and embarks on a journey to save his new found friends.
Although boasting some big names in the ensemble vocal cast, Horton Hears A Who! succeeds in exhibiting the personalities of the film’s characters more than the personalities behind the film’s characters.

Jim Carrey lends his voice to create a lovable and passionate Horton whose belief that “a person’s a person, no matter how small” makes him risk everything to save those too tiny for him to see, but loud enough for him to hear.
Steve Carell is aptly flustered and flabbergasted as the Mayor of Who-ville who has ninety seven children, a son who hasn’t spoken in years, and is under pressure from Who-ville’s Town Council who are waiting for him to slip up.
Carol Burnett plays Kangaroo to the hilt, as a strict and snobbish mother who fears imagination and creativity results in anarchy and chaos in her orderly structured life. She even refuses to allow her joey, Rudy (Josh Flitter) to leave her pouch.

Other notable performances are Will Arnett’s Vlad the eagle who’s a wannabe-supervillain; Isla Fisher’s loopy scatterbrain Dr. Mary Lou Larue, the scientist helping the Mayor save Who-ville; Seth Rogen’s fleet footed Morton the mouse who is Horton’s best friend and Charles Osgood’s narration brings authority and sincerity to Dr Seuss’s rhyming verses.The story’s simple message of believing in and helping others strikes a chord with audiences of all ages, making Horton Hears A Who! an enjoyable film.

ANIMATED ANIMOSITY: Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey) and Kangaroo (voiced by Carol Burnett) agree to disagree in Horton Hears A Who! Image: Twentieth Century Fox.

Director: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino

Writers: Cinco Paul (screenplay), Ken Daurio (screenplay), Dr. Seuss (book and story), Jeff Siergey (additional story)

Voice Cast: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen, Jesse McCartney, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Amy Poehler, Selena Gomez, Dan Fogler, Jonah Hill, Jaimee Pressly, Ariel
Winter, Charles Osgood, Jack Angel, Josh Flitter, Joey King, Bill Farmer

Producers: Bob Gordon, Chris Wedge, Bruce Anderson, Audrey Geisel, Christopher Meledandri

Original Music Composer: John Powell

Film Editor: Tim Nordquist

Running Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes