Films/DVD Asylum

Horton hears a Who -- thumbnail review, no spoilers

75.189.135.83

This Post Has Been Edited by the Author

I saw it today with my 6 year old daughter. She held on all the way through, and seemed genuinely involved at the ending.

For my wife and I, the film sagged miserably in act II.

It has none of the charm and poetry of the original book. It is bloated with subplots and comic nonsense to fill out the requisite 110 or so minutes -- but one or two of the gags were genuinely humorous.

Horton is also something other than the utterly charming, true blue, avatar of the kind heart he is in the Suess books, which to my mind, are works of genius. In attempting to develop his character, and "flesh it out" so to speak, they succeed only in diluting and adulterating it.

The computer animation was fine, though undistinguished. The soundtrack less than memorable, though one pop chestnut was used effectively and stood out.

Overall, it is a genial and generally pleasant exercise, which the kids all seemed to enjoy; and it was, overall, considerably more (though not entirely) wholesome that the usual children's film these days.

Not in the same class as the Toy Story's, or the Incredibles, or Chicken Little, or Ice Age, any of the other top-drawer animations. But still, it was nice to have SOMETHING halfway decent to take the little to the cinny for.

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