Horton Hears a Who!

Horton Hears a Who! (voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett) – Jim Carrey has always meant money at the box office whether he plays a human character, a Grinch, or a cartoon.  In this adaptation of the 1954 Dr. Seuss’ book, Carrey plays Horton the elephant, the gentle protector of Whoville, land of the Who who come to him as a speck on a clover.  Aiming to find the people of the land he cannot see a safe haven, he overcomes the forest’s leader, the Kangaroo (voiced by Carol Burnett) to reach his goal.  Aided by a mouse named Morton (the voice of Seth Rogan) and despite being stalked by Vlad (the voice of Will Arnett), he tries to aid the mayor of Whoville (voiced by Steve Carell) in preparing Whoville for the dangers it has never seen.  This is Pixar animation, which means it is sweeter, beautiful and creative without having the energy of Disney.  The crowd loved the clever dialogue and the exceptional voicing by the principals, which truly makes this an enjoyable experience.  Without Carrey and Carell (who acted together in Bruce Almighty), this might have just been an ordinary animated kid’s flick.  But the two give it the kind of spontaneity that Robin Williams brought to Aladdin and, coupled with Burnett’s pitch perfect portrayal of the powerful Kangaroo, make the movie fun and touching.  Of course, there is an inner hidden deeper secret meaning, symbolized by the book’s key message, “a person’s a person, no matter how small.”  Completed near the time of the Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch-hunt hearings, Horton Hears a Who! pits its well-meaning, kind, yet brave, protagonist against the powerful Kangaroo and her predatory instrument, Vlad.  For those of us who want more than a cartoon, this makes the movie well worth the time.  For the rest of you, have a ball!