Horton Hears a Who

Jimmy Hayward & Steve Martino

BY Brendan WillisPublished Mar 13, 2008

The feature length adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss book Horton Hears a Who manages to stay true to the original story while at the same time fleshing out the characters and plot. Both parents and children will find the light-hearted story and top-notch animation well worth the trip to a theatre to enjoy the film in all its big screen glory.

One day, Horton the Elephant (Jim Carrey) hears voices emanating from a tiny speck and realises that miniature people are living on that speck. When Horton begins talking to the Mayor of Whoville (Steve Carell), the leader of the tiny people of the speck, some of the other animals living in the jungle worry that Horton is losing his mind and try to intervene. Horton embarks on a journey to bring the speck to safety, but he must first protect the tiny people from those who seek to destroy their world.

Unlike the last two misguided live-action Dr. Seuss adaptations to come from Hollywood, the digitally animated Horton Hears a Who manages to be both endearing and funny. Jim Carrey, who also played the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, delivers an excellent voice acting performance without the over-the-top zaniness to which he is sometimes prone. The artwork is in-line with the style of the original Dr. Seuss storybooks, and the animation rivals the quality of a Pixar production without ever drawing attention to itself at the expense of the story.

Other than a few brief pop culture missteps, Horton Hears a Who maintains the timeless quality of the original book and will surely become a favourite of the pre-school set while still entertaining an older audience.
(Fox)

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