MPAA Rating: G
Genre: Family/Animated
Age range: Ages 2 and up
Runtime: Approx. 88 minutes
Starring: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Dan Fogler, Amy Poehler, Jaime Pressly, Jonah Hill, Josh Flitter
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Release Date: March 14, 2008
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - Overview
Based on the popular children's book by Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who! tells the story of Horton, an elephant who is "faithful one hundred percent."
Horton the elephant, in going about his daily duties one day, hears a mysterious yelp as a speck of dust breezes by. Convinced that the small noise was a cry for help coming from the speck, Horton drops everything and chases the dust, until it lands safely on the clover he protectively holds with his trunk. From that point on, Horton vows to protect the speck and whoever it is that lives on it.
Horton's subsequent attempts to communicate with the dust dweller finally pay off, and it turns out there is a whole town of tiny people called Whos living on the dust speck. As Horton learns more about the Whos, his determination to help them grows stronger. But, his kindness is seen as madness by the jungle's resident busy body kangaroo. In fact, she belittles Horton and insists that he deny the existence of Whoville and its residents.
When Horton refuses to turn his back on the Whos, Kangaroo finds an alternative way to get him to conform. Horton persists, because after all, "a person's a person no matter how small." But in order to succeed in helping them, Horton will need a little help from the Whos.
Photo © 20th Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - Guide Review for Parents
The movie version of Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! stays true to the simple story and sweet moral of Dr. Seuss' book. The plot is easy for kids to follow and relate to, and because the story is such a classic, adults can enjoy it too.
Impressively, the movie animation and characters live up to the classic story. The brightly colored backdrops and whimsical characters are, well, they are just plain adorable. I can predict that Fox is going to make a lot of money on movie merchandise with this one.
Since the movie started out with a clean storyline and is rated G, there is not much to say in the way of concerning content. In some scenes, characters insult each other using names such as "idiot" and "moron." Also, a few slightly scary scenes might briefly startle very small children. These scenes occur in relation to the Whos' predicament and a scary looking vulture that Kangaroo sends after Horton and the clover. For more detailed examples of possibly offensive content, see the Content Overview section below.
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - Content Overview
The following lists a few of the most prominent examples of possibly offensive content in the movie (may contain spoilers):Violence (Low)
- Kangaroo is intent on destroying the Horton's clover and thus the Whos themselves. She gets a scary vulture to agree to get the clover from Horton and destroy it.
- Jungle animals come after Horton in an angry mob and attempt to tie him up and cage him.
- Some angry monkeys bomb Horton with bananas.
Sex/Nudity (None)
Profanity (None)
- No profanity is used, however, the characters use the word "idiot" multiple times as well as words like "moron" and "boob."
Alcohol/Drugs (None)
Bad/Disrespectful Behavior (Medium)
- Kangaroo is bossy and controlling. She thinks that everyone should agree with her or be ostracized.
- The mayor's son sneaks out of the house one night.
- Some characters call each other names and taunt each other.
Scary Scenes (Low)
- The scenes listed under "Violence" may be scary or unsettling to children.
- Horton precariously walks across a long and shaky bridge above a deep canyon.
- The movie centers around the dangerous predicament of the Whos, so small children may be worried for them throughout the story.
Photo © 20th Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.
Sad/Unsettling Scenes (Low)
- Horton is sad that no one believes him and that the Whos are in danger.
- The mayor's son seems sad and does not speak.
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - Topics to Talk About
- After watching Horton Hears a Who!, kids may want to talk about topics such as the following: faith, loyalty, conformity, helping others, standing up to bullies, following the crowd, living up to parents' standards.
