Horton (Carrey) the elephant is enjoying a swim when he hears a tiny cry for help. The cry comes from a speck of dust floating past, which eventually settles on a clover. Horton rescues the clover and makes contact with the voice he heard, Ned the Mayor of Whoville (Carell). The Whos, that live on the speck, are perpetually happy and are preparing for a big celebration. When Ned learns his town is a speck of dust, he consults an expert, Dr. LaRue (Isla Fischer) about their predicament. She explains that they are in peril unless a suitable, safe location can be found for their speck.
Meanwhile, in Horton's world, the Jungle of Nool, no one else can hear the voices on Horton's clover, including his best friend, Morton (Rogen) the mouse. The leader of Nool, the Sour Kangaroo (Burnett), does not like Horton's obsession and sets out to stop him. As Horton vows to protect the Whos and take their clover to the top of Mount Nool, the Kangaroo is contracting Vlad Vladikoff (Arnett) the vulture. Vlad is overly theatrical and basically inept, but manages to steal the clover and throw it in a field with millions of other clovers. Will Horton find the Whos in time and will Ned convince the rest of the town that they are in danger?
Dr. Seuss wrote the story of Horton and the Whos, titled "Horton Hears a Who!" in 1954. In 1970, it was turned into a made-for-TV cartoon film. In 2000 the story, along with several other Dr. Seuss stories, was turned into a Broadway musical, Seussical. Growing up I read and loved all Dr. Seuss books, so I was familiar with the story (even though I haven't read the story in years... I would say decades, but that makes me feel old). Lately I have been obsessed with Broadway soundtracks, so Seussical has been a part of my iPod rotation.
When this film came out I wasn't interested. The trailers weren't too impressive and even though I enjoy Jim Carrey, his films can be all over the place. Sometimes they equal comedy gold ("Dumb and Dumber", "Liar Liar", etc) and sometimes they are off the mark. My roommates sister loves this film and often quotes it. She let me borrow it and I was pleasantly surprised!
It is a cute film, taking Dr. Seuss' story and expanding it. The backgrounds are lush, and the characters look good. In addition, the filmmakers hired big name comedians to portray the characters... and wisely chose people who would merge well with their characters. Other than Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, the rest of the cast blends into the characters without pulling you out of the film to say "oh that's _____ (insert actor name)." Carrey tones down his usual manic performance to make Horton endearing and a little eccentric. And Carell makes the mayor neurotic and a bit heroic. Comedy legend Carol Burnett oozes disdain as the Sour Kangaroo. And Will Arnett shines with a thick Russian accent while portraying an over-the-top character. The rest of the cast is good and well-suited for their various roles.
A good film for children, not the best, but cute and funny.
Horton Hears a Who! (2008) 86 minutes
Rating: G
Director: Jimmy Hayward & Steve Martino
Starring: Jim Carrey as Horton
Steve Carell as Mayor Ned McDodd
Carol Burnett as Kangaroo
Will Arnett as Vlad
Seth Rogen as Morton
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