The Cat in the Hat

When the live version of "The Cat in the Hat" was released back in 2003, it came with much fanfare and anticipation only to receive lukewarm reviews and subsequently tanked in the box office. So, it's no surprise that this animated version of "The Cat in the Hat" was held off until now. Since this was a Dr. Seuss creation and his work is and should be animated, this version should surely perform better. 

Meet the Cat in the Hat you don't know! In the wonderfully whimsical tradition of Dr. Seuss, "The Cat in the Hat" comes to the big screen in the animated theatrical feature film debut, an all-new, epic adventure with an edge, where mischief, magic and mayhem reign supreme. Doing what he does best, the Cat--voiced by Bill Hader--spreads joy to kids in his hilarious, signature and singularly irreverent way, transporting them and audiences on a fantastical journey through a world they've never seen before. In the film, our hero takes on his toughest assignment yet for the I.I.I.I. (Institute for the institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC): to cheer Gabby (Xochiti Gomez) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town. Known for taking things too far, this could be this agent of chaos's last chance to prove himself or lose his magical hat and his job. Will he succeed?

Others to round out the cast are Quinta Brunson as Sherrie from HR, Giancarlo Esposito as Mr. Hoogeboom, Bowen Yang as Gary, America Ferrera as Carmen (mom), Ryan Gaffney as Pig in a Wig, Paula Pell as Patty, Matt Berry as Waffles Tituss Burgess as The Psychic Narwhal and Asha Marie as Rosie. 

This was whimsically directed by Alessandro Carloni ("Kung Fu Panda 3" '16) and shorts and Erica Rivinoja. While these directors have limited experience, they truly know what it takes to put together animated productions. Considering that Carloni comes from an animation background surely served them both.The staging and pacing were spot on. I see more projects coming their way. It was also executed well by writers Rivinoja ("Extreme Movie" '08, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" '13, "Trolls" '16, "Girls Trip" (story) '17, "The Addams Family" (story) '19, "Borat Subsequent Movie"'20, "The Gummibar & Friends Movie" '23) plus TV movies and TV, and Carloni, based on a screen story by Caroline Williams, which is based on the book by Dr. Seuss. The script in this was rollicking and funny, however there were a few areas of choppiness and incohesiveness in places right about the middle of the story. However, once it traversed that, the story only improved and became the film it was attempting to strive for. The sound editing by famed Ethan van der Ryn and Erick Aadahl was crisp and clear and the animation by Warner Bros Animation and Double Negative Animation were seamless in convincing its audience that this world was fun and whimsical. And, of course, this film wouldn't have been the film it was without Bill Hader as The Cat in the Hat. He's done many animated voice overs and this was his best. 

If you are a Dr. Seuss fan, you'll love this. Besides "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", my other favorite of Dr. Seuss is "Horton Hears a Who". This carried the whimsical rhyming that Seuss has always been famous for. It was a worthy attempt to honor Seuss and his work, and this should be seen by one and all!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                   Rated: PG                        114min. including a WB cartoon