As the newest kid-friendly fare to hit theaters, “Horton Hears a Who” exists in that strange place where quality seems to matter little. The newest animated flick is always an easy sell for families.  It’s a rare occurrence for the opening weekend of a big-studio animated film to settle for anything less than box office conquest.  Yes, there are distinctions that elevate certain films of this genre. Pixar’s films rise above the rest because of their appeal to adults and their rewatchability factor. Disney films rise above because of their pedigree.

However, aside from Pixar films, quality, American-made animated films are far and few between. Very few, in fact.  It is for this reason that the relative quality of “Horton Hears a Who” comes as both a surprise and a delight. This is doubly enticing considering the presence of orgiastic vocal stylings of such over-the-top performers as Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell. Not that these two do a poor job in the movie (Carrell is actually wonderfully subdued as the titular Who), but Pixar’s affinity for true vocal chameleons is something to be desired among such studio fare as this.

That said, “Horton Hears a Who” is alive in its animations, rendering memorable moving portraits of Dr. Seuss’ unforgettable creation. One of the best (if not the best) Seuss adaptations, “Horton” will appeal to children with its silliness, while adults will embrace (mostly) the manic-ness of the film, both vocally and visually (the throwback, nearly 2-D kung fu scene provides a perfect contrast to the precise, polished animation of the rest of the film).

Still, the film is not without its flaws. The characterization found in Dr. Seuss books is hardly complex, but somewhere between conception and adaptation the filmmakers needed to do a little more. Sure, the characters are fun, but the maxims of the film are developed much more than (and sometimes in place of) the characters. For children this is fine, but for adults this will begin to become tiresome. I understand the filmmakers’ need to treat the material as sacred (Hey, I was a kid once, too!), but, by not expanding upon Seuss’ characters, they do his work an injustice.

Also, I don’t know what to make of this perfunctory trend of ending children’s films with elaborate song-and-dance routines, but I have had just about enough with it. Sometimes it works (probably the high point of the God-awful “Madagascar”); other times it does not (Seriously? “The Polar Express?” Talk about obliterating an established tone). “Horton Hears a Who” falls somewhere in between.  It is not entirely bad, just unnecessary. These filmmakers, more than most, need to trust the quality of their own creation enough to know that what they have brought to life is enough to entertain the tots, sans the mind-numbing, movie-ending musical number.

In the end, “Horton” is pleasing to the eye, surprisingly pleasing to the ear, and will certainly please your pre-pubescent (whether that be your actual child or your inner child). Masterwork, it is not, but the best American-made animated film (not created by Pixar) since “Happy Feet,” it is. That isn’t saying a lot, but it is saying something. - B

Return to Home -- Return to Features