Horton Hears a Who film review

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HORTON HEARS A WHO!

Dr Seuss has long been one of the most popular children's writers in the US. Film versions of his unique visions vary from the good (The Grinch) to the bad (The Cat in the Hat). Horton Hears a Who! falls somewhere between the two camps. Kids and parents will enjoy it, but will be left wanting more.

Horton (Carrey) is an amiable elephant who spends his days showing the wacky young creatures the wonders of the forest. While preparing for his day his giant ears pick up the cries of help from a tiny speck of dust and he vows to help the microscopic voice. He reasons "a person's a person, no matter how small" and sets off on a journey to give the tiny little world a safe place to live.

The tiny world is in fact Whoville, a typically Seussian vision of crazy buildings and bizarre contraptions governed by an ineffectual but lovable mayor (Carell). There have been strange happenings in Whoville since their world floated off in space and it is the mayor's plaintive cries for help that Horton picks up on.

The trouble is only Horton can hear them - they are too small to see - and so he has to convince everyone to believe him if he is to be successful in his quest.

All goes well until kangaroo comes along. She is a stuck-up busy body and refuses to believe in a world she cannot see or hear and takes it upon herself to destroy Horton's reputation and the 'world' he is carrying around into the bargain. To this end she enlists the help of Vlad the vulture, a hilariously over the top villain, to kill the pair of them.

Horton Hears a Who! is a simple moral tale of kindness and forgiveness that feels slightly stretched to fit its 86 minute length. As you'd expect from the makers of Ice Age, the CGI animation is impeccable and there are a few laughs along the way, but there is always the underlying feeling that this is very much style over substance.

Rob Andrews