The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Also known as "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat"
Don't mess with the hat.
Starring: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill, Sean Hayes, Danielle Chuchran, Taylor Rice, Brittany Oaks, Talia-Lynn Prairie, Dan Castellaneta, Victor Brandt, Daran Norris, Christina Kirkman, Paris Hilton
Director: Bo Welch
Running Time: 82 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: PG
Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
"'The Cat in the Hat', great Dr Seuss book,
We should make it a film, we should give it a look!"
That's what they said up at ol' Universal,
So they called up Mike Myers and went straight to rehearsal.
"It worked with 'The Grinch', they've done it before!
Only not with a cat, who walks in through the door.
We'll make it real funny, we'll make it real bright,
But we'll cut out that bit where the Things fly the kite."
"We'll cast Alec Baldwin! We'll cast Kelly Preston!
We'll cast that kid Fanning, and cast Spencer Breslin.
We'll cast Paris Hilton, she'll give us a dance,"
But does it all work? Oh no, not a chance.
You see, there's a problem - the book's far too small!
So they make up their own bits, and that's where they fall.
They bend it and change it and wreck the whole story,
The result is as fun as a night with a Tory.
To make matters worse they don't give up there,
They take out the charm and they take out the care.
Myers tries to be zany, Myers tries to be clever,
But nobody's laughing, not now and not ever.
I know it's light-hearted, I know he's just toying,
But that Cat in the Hat, he sure is annoying.
So I didn't like it, not one little bit,
It's mostly because it's a big pile of… rubbish.
(See also Anton Bitel's review)
It's Got: No point to it whatsoever.
It Needs: To have never been made.
Alternatives: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Summary: Watch an all-time classic children's book being destroyed before your very eyes. Awful. Just awful.
Review by Gary Panton
External Links
Official Web Site
The Cat in the Hat at the IMDB
Comments5 Comments |
| There's a faint possibility that you've overrated this film - although I accept you'd have found it hard to rhyme the phrase "deeply inappropriate for children" anywhere, that is actually what it is. The smutty jokes are more suited to Benny Hill than a family film, and I strongly advise any parents considering this as an Easter Holiday outing to try something different - pretty much anything different in fact. |
| Comment by:- jax | | 02 April 2004 | ip: logged |
| Your review is absolutely useless. There are VERY few movies that are written like the book. I found this movie to very good. My 3 year old also loved it. He was glued to the screen. I would give it a 8 out of 10. If you can't review a movie from the correct perspective then you should not rate it. You obviously missed the "moral of the story" completely while you writing your little "I can do it better" poem. You sound like a little spoiled BRAT, that should be BANISHED from reviewing movies, especially for kiddies, like "The CAT in the HAT". |
| Comment by:- Mr Parent | | 19 August 2004 | ip: logged |
| I agree with Jax. Entirely inappropriate for children. Too many lewd jokes (the DVD deleted scenes are even worse. They knew those wouldn't fly, it's a pity they didn't have the same foresite with the others). Some great costume and set design though and some of Mikes stuff was very funny. But I'd never let my kids watch this, not in a million years. |
| Comment by:- a Dad | | 03 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| It was the funnyest movie ever if tou have got nothing better to do than find faults in kids movies then u have serious problems. |
| Comment by:- i hate jax | | 05 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| Oh My God. I just had the misfortune of catching this on cable with my toddler. She was mesmerized by the Cat and the colors. I was horrified by the jokes. A 6 foot cat murmuring to a garden hoe, "Dirty Hoe...I'm just kidding Babe, you know I love you..." as his tongue darts in and out towards it. Who was this written for? Under 7 isn't going to get it but shouldn't hear it anyway, 8-11 will probably get it but shouldn't hear it, over 11 will think it's a "kid" movie. As for adults, from the comments above some liked it but no wonder it tanked. |
| Comment by:- Erin | | 10 November 2004 | ip: logged |
