Horton Hears a Who
After two live-action attempts at bringing the world of Dr. Seuss to life (2000’s underrated “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and 2003’s supposedly-unwatchable “Cat in the Hat”), someone finally has the bright idea of bringing the good doctor’s fantastical world to life in feature animation. That someone is Blue Sky, Fox’s CG-animation machine responsible for hits both good (2002’s “Ice Age”) and on the verge of bad (“Robots” and “Ice Age: The Meltdown”).
Thankfully, Blue Sky has rebounded from the general mediocrity of the last two films to finally match their penchant for celebrity voices (something they share with the equally hit-and-miss PDI at Dreamworks) with a story actually worth caring about. That’s where Seuss comes in. And while the film isn’t above some contemporary humor (WhoSpace? really?), it’s not enough to dull the inherent charms of the story at its’ center, with Horton the elephant (voiced by “Grinch” vet Jim Carrey) becoming the protector of the land of Whoville- so small it’s contained on a speck on a flower- when he hears a voice emanate from said speck. Of course, the other creatures in the forest- including a strict Kangaroo (the invaluable Carol Burnett) in charge of the land- think Horton’s crazy. But of course, Horton’s right about the speck, and in communication with Whoville’s stressed mayor (Steve Carell)- who not only has a large broad (97 daughters and a stoic son) and doubting wife to contend with, but also a governing board who doesn’t respect him to contend with- tries to get the flower to safety. Easier said than done in a world with a dogmatic view of things and dangers like a sinister vulture (the priceless Will Arnett).
I couldn’t help but get caught up in this story, which captures a fundamental theme of friendship, trust, and the courage it takes to be your own man in a world where conformity is rewarded. The animation helps in that, lovingly recreating Seuss’ visual imagination with style and weight that’s impossible to not enjoy watching. More so than live-action could, animation- and its’ endless possibilities- brings energy and a vibrant spirit to the world that lets you lose yourself in it. As I said when I first saw the trailer for the film, “It’s about dang time someone’s doing Seuss animated!” (Well, I used a stronger word. And yes, I know many animated shorts have been made of Seuss’ stories, but I was referring to the feature film possibilities.)
Finally, there’s the cast, one filled with as many comedy heavyweights as any I can think of. Carrey is perfect as the fanciful, sometimes to a fault, Horton, with Carell matching him every step of the way as the frazzled mayor of Whoville; the two make a fine, funny pairing. As for the supporting cast, Arnett and Burnett are just the beginning- Seth Rogan (“Knocked Up”), Isla Fisher (“Wedding Crashers”), Jonah Hill (“Superbad”), Jaime Pressly (“My Name is Earl”), and Amy Poehler (“Blades of Glory”) all through comic logs on the fire in top-notch support, even if Carrey and Carell are the only ones with fleshed-out characters. No matter- all of the elements are in place, and even if its’ far from a classic, neither is it an embarrassment, which is more than I can say for some animated films nowadays.
