"Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who" is an inspired cinematic adaptation that improves on the book in a way that a movie of this magnitude should.
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:130
Fresh:102
Rotten:28
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: Horton Hears A Who! is both whimsical and heartwarming, and is the rare Dr. Seuss adaptation that stays true to the spirit of the source material.
Theatrical Release:21-03-2008
Synopsis: On the fifteenth of May, in the jungle of Nool, in the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool. He was splashing...enjoying the jungle's great joys...When Horton the elephant heard a small... On the fifteenth of May, in the jungle of Nool, in the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool. He was splashing...enjoying the jungle's great joys...When Horton the elephant heard a small noise. With his signature evocative and rhyming text, writer and cartoonist Dr. Seuss, an American treasure whose books have delighted generations of young people, opens one of his most beloved tales, Horton Hears a Who! Now, over fifty years since Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, published this perennial favorite, the makers of ICE AGE and comedy giants Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, bring it to life in a way never before experienced. For the first time, a motion picture transports audiences into Dr. Seuss' incredible imagination, through state-of-the-art CG animation. DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO! (TM) is Seuss as you want to experience his work at the movies - and as it was meant to be seen. The film, like Seuss' book, presents an imaginative elephant named Horton (Carrey) who hears a faint cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Although Horton doesn't know it yet, that speck houses an entire city named Who-ville, inhabited by the microscopic Whos, led by the Mayor (Carell). Despite being ridiculed and threatened by his neighbors, who think he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to save the particle...because "a person's a person, no matter how small." Horton's eight-word explanation for his actions embodies an idea both simple and profound, and which means so much, to so many. The film provides more food for thought, having Horton explains to his skeptical friends: "If you were way out in space, and you looked down at where we live, we would look like a speck." Then there's Horton's code...his motto... that, "an elephant's faithful 100 percent" - pointing to his honesty and determination to never abandon his mission to find a new home for the speck that houses the incredible world of Who-ville. These philosophical declarations point to Seuss' unique ability to take complex issues and boil them down into understandable thoughts that anybody, at any age, could understand. It all comes together through the vision of a master storyteller, the magic of computer animation, and the special alchemy of three generations of comedy stars - Carrey and Carell are joined by the legendary Carol Burnett, as well as cutting-edge talents Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Amy Poehler , Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill - to create an all-audience comedy event. --© Fox [More]
Starring: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Dane Cook
Starring: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Dane Cook, Amy Poehler, Jesse McCartney, Isla Fisher, Dan Fogler, Will Arnett, Jonah Hill, Laura Ortiz, Jaime Pressly, Josh Flitter, Carol Burnett
Director: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Director: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Screenwriter: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Jon Vitti, Mike Reiss
Producer: Bob Gordon
Composer: John Powell
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!
Explores the innate value in each of us, the need for persistence in doing the right thing no matter the odds, and it's a metaphor for faith itself.
a flat-out winner that's funny and has a great message for kids and adults alike.
[W]hat has Hollywood done with this gentle plea for tolerance? It has been turned into something that looks astonishingly like far-right propaganda about how Christians are a persecuted minority -- as if this were 100AD in the Roman Empire...
They finally got Dr. Seuss right in this warm-hearted and heart-warming story of the elephant who is "faithful 100 percent" and the world on a little speck of dust that he rescues.
It's almost as if the filmmakers watched the two recent live action Seuss adaptations and vowed to avoid all the mistakes that were made.
Horton Hears a Who! is lovable and embraceable (like the film's main character) and touchingly funny.
Kids will laugh at Horton's antics, while parents won't sprain any muscles rolling their eyes.
Carrey's performance is uncharacteristically measured and relaxed, and he's funnier than he has been in years.
One book can't contain Horton's dogged heroics!His stoical pluck shows up all other stoics!And it gets even better! I'm pleased to relateThat Horton's the very best Blue Sky to date.
Exquisite... Listen closely to Horton Hears a Who! You might be surprised by what you hear.
While the crisp CG animations are enough to move this film into the cartoon greats category, also the all-star cast, hilarious wit and virtuous messages have instantly made Horton Hears a Who! into a children's classic.
Joyously maintains the rhythmic syntax and considerate spirit of Dr. Seuss.
Horton Hears a Who still shines with a fresh coat of mass-appeal shellac, just don't walk in expecting something as cozy and magical as the original book.
After ghastly, eye-corroding recent efforts, Ron Howard and Mike Myers, I'm looking at you - Horton Hears a Who offers a welcome and wonderful respite to those convinced we might never see a worthy feature adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book.
Thankfully, this colorful adaptation has filled out Horton's original adventure without losing sight of its simple but important message.
A joyous and kind-hearted romp with Horton the caring elephant who is on a mission of mercy for the small ones.
Anyone who suffered through Carrey's turn as the Grinch would be forgiven for staying away from any further such pairing simply on principle. But to shun the newest Carrey-Seuss mix out of spite would be a shame because this movie is a delight.
Earlier big-screen adaptations have smothered the good doctor's unpretentious whimsy under layers of production bloat. Horton feels as blithe and confident of its unpretentious virtues as its long-nosed hero.
Horton is a wonderful family outing for parents to share with their children.
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