NEW YORK (OSV News) — Back in 2003, Universal and DreamWorks released a live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic 1957 children’s book “The Cat in the Hat” starring Mike Myers. The film proved a disappointment at the box office and was panned by critics.
Now Warner Bros. has taken a shot at an animated screen version. While visually vibrant, the result is more chaotic than entertaining.
As the opening sequence shows us, the job of the title character (voice of Bill Hader) is to cheer up bored or depressed youngsters. Although he usually succeeds in doing so, his methods generally leave disarray in his wake.
As a result, his boss, Mr. Hoogeboom (voice of Giancarlo Esposito), is on the verge of firing the feline. However, the Cat’s best friend and fellow employee, Sherrie from HR (voice of Quinta Brunson), points out that the employee handbook requires that he be given one last chance before being terminated.
Accordingly, the Cat is dispatched to the home of a disgruntled teen, Gabby (voice of Xochitl Gomez), and her younger brother, Sebastian (voice of Tiago Martinez).
Gabby is struggling to adjust to the new neighborhood to which her mom, Carmen (voiced by America Ferrera), has decided to move the family. She has also become alienated from Sebastian with whom she previously shared a close bond.
The Cat has come armed with a device capable of turning back time, thus hoping to undo whatever disorder he and the kids create before Carmen returns home from work. But Gabby wants to use the gadget to reverse the clan’s relocation. After the instrument goes missing, the trio embark on a series of frenetic adventures to retrieve it.
The script, on which co-directors Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni collaborated, emphasizes the importance of family ties. It also sees the siblings gaining new insights into Carmen’s real feelings and motivations.
But secondary messages about the degree to which rules exist to be flouted and the need to make a mess in order to have fun may be less pleasing to parents. So, too, may the presence of a psychic character, a magical narwhal (voice of Tituss Burgess) who helps in the search for the missing mechanism.
Too scary for small fry, the movie is probably acceptable for most others, the inclusion of some mildly rude language notwithstanding. The same goes for the less-than-impressive animated short, “Daffy Season,” by which it’s preceded.
The film contains perilous situations, a couple of crass terms, occasional scatological humor and fleeting wordplay. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may be inappropriate for children.
John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on X @JohnMulderig1.
