Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who. Film review. I could very much understands if you feel a sudden surge of love and admiration toward Elephants after seeing this film. A fun, light-hearted animated take on Dr Seuss' short-story. The best film adaptation of his works that i've seen by a mile. Um, make that mileS because i would eagerly seen this film more than this film or this film. The film was suitable for family, but also gave enough amusement to a more experienced viewer (it features a famous quote from Apocalypse Now which i seriously doubt any children would catch the phrase. Let alone understands about it).

In a jungle far far away where it seems that the only normal animals were elephant, monkeys, vulture and kangaroo, lives a good-hearted elephant. His name is Horton (Jim Carrey). One day, when he's doing whatever animated animals were supposedly doing in an animated jungle (i needn't tell you that the animators would feel obliged to made the sequences as ridiculously funny as possible. I could tell you that whatever they decided to do with the scenes, it works. Well, at least for me), he hears something, something from a tiny speck of dust and although he can't see it, he believed that there were actually real people, tiny people living in the dust. There's actually a town named Who-Ville and Horton was able to communicate with the Major (Steve Carell) of the town. However, a self-proclaimed Queen of the jungle, believes that Horton would causes a fuss among the younglings of the jungle by giving them a false impressions that there were actually something to imagine as she is a firm believer to notion that "if you can't see it, then it doesn't exist". The Major, the only Who-Villers who initially believes that there was actually a giant elephant in the sky talking to him, plea to Horton to bring their world, the tiny speck of dust to somewhere safe. Horton agreed to help, and he sets up for a journey to the mountain top. Meanwhile, the Queen of the jungle went every alley to separate Horton and his tiny speck of dust. And Horton would find the journey to look for a safe haven for the Who-Villers wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

The film was short, but i was very very entertained with it. I wouldn't thought that this film would have a chance to become one of the best in 2008, but for a month that was so completely deserted-out of a good excuse to waste a good money for a ticket, the film was worth a while. The theater filled with laughter for almost the entire film, children and adults alike. I found myself smiling in more than just a scarce occasion. It was fun and entertaining. The tension part, the part where Horton's need and the Queen of the jungle's intention collides, was also craftly executed and not prolonged which is a good thing, actually.

I had one quibble though. The film was clearly had two sets. The 'real' world set, where Horton is the star, and the Who-Ville set, where Major is the star. Both of these stars voiced by two magnificent comedians. But, for me at least, it is clear that the Horton part was far more entertaining. Given with the fact that Jim Carrey was free to do whatever to his character (i don't know how much of the dialogue was ad-libbed but i guess it's very plenty) rather than Steve Carell who was given less freedom with his father-figure character, and in the end, i found myself longing for Horton when the scene shifted to Who-Ville. But, other than that, it was a pleasant and relaxing experience. Added to that, the final scene with the familiar song by Chicago (if i'm not mistaken, that is) was quite hilarious.