Horton Hears A Who and Chopt

Horton Hears A Who

Written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul
Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino

In one of my favorite reviews by NY Times film critic A.O Scott, the wry reporter explained, "What distinguishes “Horton Hears a Who!” from the other recent Dr. Seuss film adaptations —“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Cat in the Hat,” in case you need reminding — is that it is not one of the worst movies ever made." I tend to agree with his sentiments.

While Horton does not belong in the line-up of serious kiddie film offenders (Think: Mr. Magorium's Magic Emporium, and don't kill me: Ratatoulle), it does violate many codes of quality cinema. The characters, in spite of their vivid animation and charming voices, are two dimensional stock types, likely the product of too many writers, too much focus on visuals, and too little creativity. I give you a treasure trove of tired sidekicks--the ditsy schoolgirl, the bickering politicians. The story with classic Seussian wisdom ("A person is a person no matter how small") should be rephrased---a plot is a plot no matter how puny.

For something more substantive: Try chopt salads...green like the Jungle of Nool.