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Movies / On DVD / Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat

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Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003)

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Reviews Counted:148

Fresh:18

Rotten:130

Average Rating:3.3/10

Consensus: Filled with double entendres and potty humor, this Cat falls flat.

Runtime: 72 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: This adaptation of the classic children's book stars Mike Meyers (AUSTIN POWERS) as the wily talking cat with a tall striped hat and more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Set in a colorful... This adaptation of the classic children's book stars Mike Meyers (AUSTIN POWERS) as the wily talking cat with a tall striped hat and more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Set in a colorful make-believe world, the film tells the classic tale of a sister and brother, Sally (Dakota Fanning) and Conrad (Spencer Breslin), who pass a rainy afternoon with their crotchety baby sitter Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill), during which they receive a visit from the mysterious Cat in the Hat, who leads them on a series of colorful, illogical, silly misadventures. Meanwhile their mother (Kelly Preston), her paranoid boss (Sean Hayes), and her phony boyfriend (Alec Baldwin), present obstacles for the children as they become part of the Cat's chaotic world. With candy colored sets that pop off the screen and zany special effects that give the story a decidedly 21st century spin, this movie presents a fast-paced and very nontraditional rendering of Dr. Seuss. The rhyming lines that usually characterize Dr. Seuss stories are referenced here, but modern jokes that riff on television advertisements and pop psychology are given more importance. Dakota Fanning is utterly adorable as little Sally, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 are delightful in their chittering and acrobatics. A bright and happy film packed with dazzling stunts, DR. SEUSS' THE CAT IN THE HAT is an entertaining treat. [More]

Starring: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning

Starring: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill, Sean Hayes, Brittany Oaks, Taylor Rice

Director: Bo Welch

Director: Bo Welch
Screenwriter: David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Alec Berg
Producer: Brian Grazer
Studio: Universal Pictures

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Reviews for Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat

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41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Theodore Geisel isn't merely rolling over in his grave -- he's spinning so fast that he's splintering the coffin around him into shards appropriate for teeth-picking.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
11/25/03
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Myers sounds like a cross between Paul Lynde and Austin Powers, and purr like The Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion -- he doesn't have an original moment in the character.

Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
11/25/03
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com

To paraphrase Woody Allen, if Dr. Seuss were alive to see this production, he would never stop throwing up.

Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
11/24/03
John R. McEwen
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online

First published in 1957, The Cat In The Hat is one of the most-loved and best-selling children's books ever. It's also a mere 1,600 words -- and even at 82 minutes, the movie version seems like a big stretch.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
11/24/03
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper

It's so bad that Dr. Seuss should sue from the grave ... It is one of longest eighty minutes you'll ever spend in a theater.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
11/24/03
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

[L]ike a forced march through Candyland...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
11/24/03
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

You'll watch with a sneer and a throb in your head. You'll watch and you'll sit there and wish you were dead.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/23/03
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

It would have been nice for Myers to be a little more original.

Full Review Source: Broomfield Enterprise | comment Comment
11/23/03
Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi
Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi
Broomfield Enterprise

Creepier than Michael Jackson's mug shot, and yet very similar. Parents shouldn't leave their kids alone with this circus sideshow, either.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/23/03
Collin Souter
Collin Souter
eFilmCritic.com

The Cat in the Hat is ostensibly a family film, yet it is filled with material that is inappropriate for children...A complete disaster.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
11/23/03
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

A film adaptation with big-buck effects, but no soul to speak of.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
11/23/03
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

... a shrill, soulless and disturbing void of imagination that murders the spirit of a beloved children's book -- which the filmmakers obviously have not read.

Full Review Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) | comment Comment
11/23/03
Jonathan R. Perry
Jonathan R. Perry
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: 3BlackChicks Review | comment Comment
11/22/03
Kamal  'The Diva' Larsuel
Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel
3BlackChicks Review

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: 3BlackChicks Review | comment Comment
11/22/03
Kamal  'The Diva' Larsuel
Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel
3BlackChicks Review

Entertaining? Not very. Bearable? Absolutely. It's a great looking movie that is unfortunately devoid of charm and the Cat's trademark...fun.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
11/22/03
John Venable
John Venable
Supercala.com

The best argument yet made for extending artists' rights beyond the grave.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
11/22/03
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor
Salon.com

Mangles one of the most famous children's books of the last 50 years, coarsening its charm in a stew of bathroom humor, ham-handed irony and cynical hucksterism.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
11/22/03
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

It has filler that ranges from the superfluous to the distracting and some inexcusably vulgar humor, but when Cat takes over, it is entertaining.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
11/22/03
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

A spirited fantasy that doesn't slow down long enough for the viewer to think about its flaws.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
11/21/03
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

In a word; awful.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
11/21/03
Paul Salfen
Paul Salfen
Supercala.com
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat

August 01, 2007: Trailer Bulletin: Horton Hears a Who
The last few times somebody tried to turn Dr. Seuss into a movie, the results were ... How the Grinch Stole Christmas and (dear lord) The Cat in the Hat. And then somebody got... More...

June 02, 2006: Mike Myers to Adminster Some "Self-Help"
Funnyman Mike Myers looks poised to make a comeback after his "Cat in the Hat"-inspired vacation, and one of his new projects will be a goofy comedy about a nutty... More...

March 11, 2005: Fox & Blue Sky to do "Horton" via CGI
The Hollywood Reporter brings us news that Fox and Blue Sky Studios have won the rights to bring Dr. Seuss' classic "Horton Hears a Who" to the big screen. Blue Sky's... More...

October 28, 2003: News, reviews, links and pictures of The Cat. Opens in new window
More...

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