Horton Hears a Who!

Horton Hears a Who!

Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino (G)

Dr. Seuss’ classic tale about unconditional acceptance comes to the silver screen.

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Horton Hears a Who! restores the good name of Dr. Seuss, said Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly. After the wildly overdone How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the horribly unfunny Cat in the Hat, Hollywood owed Theodor Seuss Geisel an adaptation with as much imagination as his beloved books. This “exuberant” interpretation stays true to the 1954 children’s story, in which Horton the Elephant hears a cry for help from the microscopic people of Who-ville and carries them to safety. Wisely avoiding live action, directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino prove that simple animation is the secret to bringing Dr. Seuss to life. Their spirited rendering never sacrifices “the delicacy of the author’s springy, zingy illustrations.” The directors keep technology to a minimum, restrain their vocal cast, and splendidly capture the humorist’s oddball charms, said Mike Scott in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Horton Hears a Who! is “warmhearted and whimsical, fun and fantastical, and downright Seussical.” This adaptation does bloat the story line with a few unnecessary “narrative amplifications,” said Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune. But that’s a forgivable offense, considering they’re attempting to stretch a 60-page children’s story to feature-film length.