Last night, Soulless Machine and I went to see the Dr. Seuss animated film Horton Hears a Who.  I’ve been eagerly anticipating this movie since seeing the previews earlier this year, basically because I have been waiting for a film to do Seuss justice.  More recent attempts at live action Dr. Seuss movies have been too plastic, too artificially whimsical.  And of course, there was the scenery-chewing by the stars.  While Horton retains a small proportion of scenery chewing, the film remains enjoyable.

Probably the most significant element of this movie is its animation. The CG technology is used beautifully to render a Seuss world that seems both realistic (ripples in the water while Horton bathes in the pool) and fantastic (the Mayor’s son catapults himself to the observatory stairs, then gently floats to the first step).  The quality of the animation allowed me to immerse myself in the Jungle of Nool & Whoville worlds, so that  I was paying attention to the characters.  I allowed myself to believe that not only can monkeys and undefined blue fluffy birds co-exist in one jungle, but they may also have conflict with each other.   This style of animation is the perfect vehicle for the Seussian quirky visual style and the story’s heart.

Another strength of Horton Hears a Who is the voice acting, for the most part.  Carol Burnett conveys an imperious tone while shaming the other creatures of the jungle, as the bossy and judgmental Kangaroo.  She makes the character funny, believable, and even at times, sympathetic.  On the other end of the spectrum, we have Jim Carrey.  Now, he should be praised for reining in his Jim Carry-ness, there were times that it leaked through and pulled me out of the action.  However, these moments were sparse.  Amy Poehler, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and Steve Carrell all lent their characters a spark of personality while remaining true to the story.

The only true doubt I have about the film is the use of self-referential, post-modern, tangential comedy.  I know that this has been the style for family feature-length animation since Robin Williams bounced through Aladdin like a howler monkey on crack.  But, I have never been a fan of this style of animated movie.  I am not a huge fan of Shrek or other similar kids fare.  There are times in Horton when the weird comedy works, like when the children of Nool start to imagine their own make-believe worlds in clovers.  (One girl imagines a world where ponies fart butterflies. Brilliant and gross).  But then there are other instances, like a too-long anime-style gag, that invade the tone of the movie.  It makes me wonder how well Horton will age.  Will these jokes be just as funny 10 years from now? It’s like watching old Looney Tunes  cartoons with caricatures of Humphrey Bogart.

Overall, I would strongly recommend Horton Hears a Who. Go for the animation. Stay for the butterfly farting ponies.