Jess Paine
BartoHorton Hears A Who: noise complaint follows
April 7th 2008 05:22
Yes I am a grown up. It is an allegation I have been living with for a couple of years now, a cloud overshadowing what has been an uncommonly long period of childishness. We all have our crosses to bare. Still, why let something petty like age stop anyone from enjoying the bizarre and hilarious ride that is Horton Hears A Who!? (oh the punctuation conundrum when one is working around a title that brings it's own into the equation!?).
In this Dr Seuss adaptation Jim Carrey (the artist formerly known as the Grinch who stole Christmas) voices Horton, elephant, environmentalist, animal about town. Horton discovers the tiny world of Who-ville which exists on a speck. After making contact with Who-ville mayor Ned, Horton makes it his mission to protect the speck and it's inhabitants. But both the elephant and the Who struggle to convince anyone else in their respective world's of the truth.
The whole thing is freshly original, reveling in the strange brilliance of the Seuss-verse. There are a couple of pop culture references in there, but nothing on the scale of 'Shrek: the never ending story' which would have meant it would have dated within seconds. In another one-upping on the green ogre, the actors provide their voices, not their very personalities to build the characters. This allows each character to come to life properly, rather than as an extension of say... Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy. Steve Carrell, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and Seth Rogan are among those who ably support the animators with their vocal chords.
But enough of the Shrek bashing, a positive comparison must be made. This is Pixar good. The moral gets jammed home perhaps a little too much, but the wit is pure. Any film bold enough to make an extended reference to asian animation of the Sailor Moon variety had me at at some point during the equally lengthy interprative dance scene. The detail that fills the world of Who is delightful to discover, and utterly complete. Ultimately the person we really have to thank for all this is that man called Seuss and the rich universe he created. Child or not, all it takes is a remembrance of innocence and a delight in the odd to enjoy this flick.
In this Dr Seuss adaptation Jim Carrey (the artist formerly known as the Grinch who stole Christmas) voices Horton, elephant, environmentalist, animal about town. Horton discovers the tiny world of Who-ville which exists on a speck. After making contact with Who-ville mayor Ned, Horton makes it his mission to protect the speck and it's inhabitants. But both the elephant and the Who struggle to convince anyone else in their respective world's of the truth.
The whole thing is freshly original, reveling in the strange brilliance of the Seuss-verse. There are a couple of pop culture references in there, but nothing on the scale of 'Shrek: the never ending story' which would have meant it would have dated within seconds. In another one-upping on the green ogre, the actors provide their voices, not their very personalities to build the characters. This allows each character to come to life properly, rather than as an extension of say... Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy. Steve Carrell, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and Seth Rogan are among those who ably support the animators with their vocal chords.
But enough of the Shrek bashing, a positive comparison must be made. This is Pixar good. The moral gets jammed home perhaps a little too much, but the wit is pure. Any film bold enough to make an extended reference to asian animation of the Sailor Moon variety had me at at some point during the equally lengthy interprative dance scene. The detail that fills the world of Who is delightful to discover, and utterly complete. Ultimately the person we really have to thank for all this is that man called Seuss and the rich universe he created. Child or not, all it takes is a remembrance of innocence and a delight in the odd to enjoy this flick.
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