Column:

‘Horton’ does not entertain all ages

By Tanner Boyd

Published March 18, 2008

Kudos to the Hollywood executives who finally figured out that Dr. Seuss’ imaginative stories are better left in the world of animation than under the ridiculous guise of prosthetics and wigs.

Instead of constricting the cartoonish nature of Seuss’ stories to the laws of physics, the over-the-top antics of the larger than life characters are enhanced in the colorful world of computer animation. Such is the blessing and the curse of “Horton Hears a Who!”

Horton (Jim Carrey) is a carefree elephant who discovers the existence of life on a miniscule speck.

The inhabitants of the speck are the Whos: a jovial group led by their kind yet bumbling Mayor (Steve Carrell). While both the Mayor and Horton become aware of each other’s existences, the respective communities to which they belong are not so easily convinced.

It is this tension that drives the majority of the plot, as Horton struggles to keep the speck safe from the other animals who aren’t so friendly in his jungle.

While the message that “a person is a person, no matter how small” is sweet and makes any person’s heart grow three sizes like the Grinch’s, “Horton” lacks the humanistic touch that movies like “Monsters, Inc.” or “Finding Nemo” convey.

Instead, a large majority of the laughs aren’t necessarily heartfelt, but as a result of continuous streams of hit-or-miss slapstick.

Sure, anyone under the age of six is going to find this stuff funny, but the great thing about the previously mentioned films is that they can live up to the “fun for all ages” tagline.

Kids are going to be able to linger on every word throughout the film, but adults’ attention spans will start to wane somewhere around the third act.

It really is a shame, because the film has an incredibly talented cast (Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jaime Pressly and Carol Burnett just to name a few), but a lot of their abilities are limited because of the heavy focus on physical comedy.

So while “Horton” definitely has its moments, it just doesn’t have the right mix of elements to make it the perfect family comedy.

If you’re looking for a way to entertain a preschooler for a good hour or two, then “Horton” is a perfect choice.

However, if you’re looking for a guilty pleasure animated film, don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t have the word “Pixar” before it.