‘Horton Hears a Who!’ is sweet, slight entertainment

There’s a wholesomeness to Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! that will likely win over viewers. The 90-minute animated movie, featuring the voice of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett, tries its hardest to sustain a fun, entertaining time. But unlike The Lorax, which is the high mark for Seuss cinematic adaptations, Horton feels a little stretched.

You’ll smile, but you probably won’t think. And as Seuss taught us: Oh, the thinks you can think when you think about Seuss!

The premise is classic Seuss: simple, yet profound. Horton (Carrey) is a large elephant with a heart of gold. He’s nervous with everything and everyone, especially when he begins to hear an entire community of Whos living in a speck of dust on his nose. Realizing this entire world is at his mercy, Horton takes on a fatherly role, deciding to protect the mayor of the Whos (Carell) and his community. The problem with this mission is two-fold: The Whos don’t believe they’re world is in danger, and Horton needs to keep the speck of dust safe from the malicious Kangaroo (Burnett).

There are many themes that circulate through the plot. The mayor’s insistence on convincing his people to raise their voice or get smushed forever feels like a combination of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and modern-day stories of victimized communities. We learn that one needs to shout from the heavens in order to survive. Although the lesson is never fully developed, it’s a profound message that deserves contemplation

On the flip side, Horton’s mission is to have a jungle community care about a world they can’t see (or technically believe in). The parallels are obvious: Think about the entire world of charity and philanthropy. In our mile-a-minute society, the greatest challenge is trying to get people to care about cultures, people and neighborhoods they may never see. Should we give our attention to a cause that doesn’t affect our daily lives?

These competing messages are joyfully displayed on screen, and the animation style is beautiful. The voice work, especially from Carrey, is perfectly appropriate, although I question Burnett’s presence. She’s okay in the role, but the Kangaroo never feels villainous enough. Everything is too safe and sound. Even the animation style feels overly roundish, as if sharp edges were too scary for a G rating. Again, it supports the wholesomeness factor, but the villain part fails to frighten.

Directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, working off a script by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul, try their best magical tricks, but sometimes a short story can’t be stretched to impossible lengths. Horton Hears a Who! is a hoot, but it also feels like a 30-minute TV special elongated to feature-film length.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!

• 2008

• Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino

• Written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul; based on the book by Dr. Seuss

• Featuring the voice talents of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett

• Running time: 86 minutes

• Rated G

• Rating: