Horton Hears a Who Cares?

Blue Sky Studios adapts Dr. Seuss’s classic fable Horton Hears a Who! about an elephant’s attempt to protect a microscopic community from his neighbors who refuse to believe it exists.  Originally made in 1970 by Warner Brothers animation legend Chuck Jones (who was also responsible for many other Dr. Seuss adaptations), the thirty-minute special quickly became a classic.

The remake wins by a landslide in the visual department.  Co-directors Steve Martino and Jimmy Hayward do a spectacular job recreating Seuss’s wonderful characterizations made famous by his book.  However, the success pretty much ends there.

In an effort to draw out the story another hour, directors are left to let Jim Carrey (and, to a lesser extent, Steve Carrell) chew the scenery.  The same mistake was made almost a decade ago with Carrey’s stab at The Grinch, as well as Mike Meyers’s foray into Seuss territory with The Cat in the Hat. Quite frankly, none of these movies need to be made when there are the originals, which were true in spirit and theme to the material.

Although Horton doesn’t fail as miserably as the other Seuss adaptations, you still can’t help but watch and long for the original Chuck Jones version, like with the catchy musical interlude with the Wickersham Brothers. Without comparing the two, Horton still plays out as passable fare, but nothing that would make the good Doctor proud.

Here’s hoping Hollywood has enough sense to leave Green Eggs and Ham alone.