(Published
By Oliver M. Pulumbarit
Contributor
Beloved children’s book author-artist Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, created original and appealingly weird characters in his career, but just as importantly, he imbued some human familiarity into his imaginative stories. That’s especially present in the new animated feature “Horton Hears a Who.”
The timeless tale is likewise populated by his distinctly odd-looking beings, as well as smart and ponderous animals. They all possess human-like behavior and quandaries, and even their own varying cultures. “Horton” is cute and visually kinetic enough that kids might dig it as much as Seuss’ illustrated books. But it’s got enough substance and some tugging philosophical ideas that can inspire deep thought among grownups.
That’s a rare, winning and working combination. It’s a smart yet heartwarming film, vividly rendered by Blue Sky Studios, who previously did hit cartoon films “Ice Age” and its sequel. Visually, it really is a Seuss book come to computer-animated life, its two featured worlds’ eccentricities made three-dimensional and textured. Moreover, the film captures that uniquely playful and dreamlike atmosphere, so it rarely gets boring aesthetically.
It does, however, start off a little slow. But the pace picks up and one soon gets the hang of watching the escalating adventure of the earnest elephant, Horton (voiced expressively by Jim Carrey), who discovers that a tiny speck that is actually the microscopic world of the Whos. Civilized and cultured, these people are unaware of his existence, but they do feel his hovering, monumental presence occasionally.
Horton directly contacts one of them--the Mayor (Steve Carell)--a dedicated but oft-ridiculed guy who connects sudden environmental and atmospheric changes to various goings-on in the elephant’s humongous home environment. The cross-dimensional communication isn’t always smooth or obvious to others, which gets both of them in trouble in their respective worlds.
The stern and self-important Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) thinks that Horton is insane and becoming a bad influence on the young animals of their forest society. The Mayor is similarly mocked and chastised for speaking of the existence of something that he can’t easily prove.
Such an unusual premise soon expands and ultimately, treats the viewer to existential themes, as well as individuality-versus-mob consensus debates, and even situations portraying generational parent-child rifts. There are fun physical conflicts in “Horton,” but the deeper and more lingering ones take place in the scenes depicting allegories for ideological battles and authority-questioning in our reality. It’s good that it’s presented in a way that’s easily comprehensible by the younger audience, too.
It’s not difficult to appreciate the maturity and relevance of Seuss’ story. “Horton Hears a Who” is a rarity, yes; it’s as enjoyable as the quirky live-action translation of the Seuss classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (which starred Carrey as the titular character), but “Horton” is easily more layered, story-wise. It’s got a slightly absurd take on cosmology that’s entertaining, and it can still be enjoyed as a better-than-usual animated feature with loads of colorful designs and exciting, kid-friendly moments.
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