Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
★★★ / ★★★★
Even though this animated flick is more geared toward children, I still had a good time watching it because of its vibrant energy. Jim Carrey as the voice of Horton and Steve Carell as the Mayor of Whoville are a great duo; every fluctuation in their voices reflected on their animated character’s face. Not to mention that both of them have a good timing for comedy, especially when they play with the words to provide a double (if not more adult) meaning to the jokes. Admittedly, I’m not familiar with the works of Dr. Seuss so I don’t know how much this film stayed with the original material. However, this is definitely a movie that a babysitter can show the children while he or she prepares their dinner. It has lessons about determination to accomplish something especially when no one believes in you, taking into consideration creatures that are so small or the ones we cannot see with an unaided eye, and when to question authority. But to me, I saw this as a message about how people turn a blind eye when it comes to taking care of the environment: Horton is the environmentalist (protecting a world that, at first glance, seems merely as a speck) and the rest of the jungle, including the non-believer Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) and the opportunistic Vlad the vulture (Will Arnett), are people that don’t believe in taking care of the environment–they want to destroy the speck because it brings up a lot of questions about the possibility of the existence of Others outside of what they think is the norm, which is the jungle. So, in a way, it’s also about accepting people that are different than you. One can say I’m reading too much into this animated film but that’s my interpretation and that’s why I think this film packs some sort of power. If one doesn’t want to think too much about its underlying messages, one can simply appreciate the artistry of the animation. It really is first-rate and the voice talent makes it that much better. Definitely check this one out for the kids.











this was one of my fav last year. :)
It really is a good flick… I’m such a sucker for animated films! It’s that little kid inside me that refuses to grow up. Hahaha.