"Horton Hears a Who" is a Really Good Movie for the Young at Heart

    Dr. Seuss wrote the bones for this computer animated film in 1954. It was written in the standard flippant lexicon that was customary in the good Doctor's children's books. Children loved the story in the late 50's and early 60's when a middle aged Dr. Seuss was making his mark and they love them today 17 years after his death.

    This computer generated animated film is better than the standard fare, that is the common practice of animation today. The dialogue and the acting voices were very good with Jim Carrey as the elephant Horton, Steve Carrell as the Whoville Mayor, an excellent Will Arnet as the Bela Lugosi sounding Vulture, incidentally named Vlad, Carroll Burnett still weaving her comedic magic as the meddlesome Kangaroo, Seth Rogen as Horton's best friend, Morton the mouse and Isla Fisher and the lisping scientist Dr. Mary Lou Larue to name a few of the outstanding voices.

    The theme that there is value within the most insignificant things is ageless. The subplots of paramount importance are: of friendship and keeping one's word as manifested in Horton, and that there are no more important matters than community and family as exemplified by the Whoville Mayor. These are enduring messages for adults as well as children. Horton is the main focus of the message within the story, with the Whoville Mayor being Horton's contact voice that he hears with his malleable and magnificent ears. Once he understands that residing within a floating speck of dust sitting upon a pink dandelion, held by Horton's trunk, is the home of Whoville, he works diligently and with a sense of urgency to save their world by relocating the speck to safety in a sunlit cave, at the top of a distant mountain. The strong relationship between Horton and the Mayor is made believable by the strong acting voices performed by Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell respectively.

    The Mayor's and Horton's relentless pursuit to save the unsuspecting people of Whoville, against significant odds, is the backbone of this story. It is a story with a moral that is well presented - a moral that children should enjoy and revisit.

    I am normally not a fan of present day animation. I do respect the talent it takes to achieve a project worth showcasing, regardless of whether I enjoy the film. I enjoyed this film and I rate it 3 stars with 86 minutes of runtime.

    Rated G. Released on DVD December 9, 2008.