The story is a simple one, it espouses the mantra that "A person is a person, no matter how small." It is a positive outlook on live, recognizing the rights of all living beings regardless of status. In addition to the positive tale, I found the overall story to be well written and much smarter than I was expecting it to be. I liked the way it touched on issues of faith, imagination, and a right to life. It brought up these issues without feeling preachy, never digging terribly deep while still retaining a definite intelligence.
While Horton's side of the story is fun and interesting in its political overtones, it is not the entire story. Down on the speck, the Mayor of Whoville (Steve Carell) is having problems of his own. He is the only one to notice the stange changes that are going on around them, perhaps indicating the impending demise of their society. With more odd things going on around him, he attempts to bring attention to the city council, resulting in a clamp down by the government to gag him, lest the populace learn that things are not quite as rosy as they had been led to believe.
Beyond the story, the animation is very good, giving the most accurate depiction of the Seuss world since the televised animations. It is not quite accurate, as there is something special about the flat, hand-drawn images of old. However, there is a sequence that introduces the hand drawn look, and it evokes thoughts of the illustrations. There is also another sequence that reimagines Horton's guardianship as an anime film, complete with dubbed voices, off speech patterns, and stylized animation. The weird thing is that despite the change in tone, it still works in the context of the film.
Also, the voice acting is quite good. Jim Carrey puts a distinctive stamp on the character of Horton, injecting much energy and life into the role, taking his performance to the edge, yet never going over it. On the other side of the coin, Steve Carell is understated, exasperated, worried, and hopeful as the Mayor of Whoville. Together, the two compliment each other giving the film a well-rounded feel. The rest of the voice cast are strong as well, including Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, and Seth Rogen. Finally, there is Charles Osgood who narrates the film, using much of the original text. He brings atmosphere to the picture, keeping thar Suessian feel with the rhythms and the rhymes.
Bottomline. I liked this movie a lot. There are smiles, chuckles, laughs, seriosu thoughts, and overall fun to be found throughout. It is a pleasant family film that has plenty to appeal to both children and adults. Definitely give this one a look see.
Highly Recommended.
1 comments:
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who is classic, i forgot how much that guy packed into such simple storylines... they didn't add much to the original story either except for the usual Jim-Carryisms.
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