My Thumb Sideways: Horton Hears A Who!

Voices: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett

Horton Hears A Who! is the classically whacky Dr. Seuss tale of an elephant that hears voices from a speck of dust that happens to float by on the wind one day. Horton soon makes contact with those on the speck, the Whos in Who-ville, and mayhem ensues when the other forest denizens don't believe him. To protect the Whos, Horton decides to put the speck in a safe place away from these naysayers that threaten to eliminate the speck altogether.

Vlad, the hoodlum contracted to rub out the speck, talks with a Russian accent. I'm waiting to see if the political correctness police and Slavic communities come out to denounce the unflattering ethnic portrayal.

What I Liked
• Whether you like Dr. Seuss or not, there's no denying that these stories have a wild imagination.
• The characters did indeed look like 3D versions, a nice upgrade from the 2D television show produced back in 1970.
• Carol Burnett as the master villain gave a spunky performance as a self-righteous kangaroo.
• I giggled whenever Horton danced with his butt towards the camera.

What I Didn't Like
• It was boring with about a half-dozen good laughs. A 15-minute story stretched to 90 minutes, I struggled to stay awake.
• The computer animated character's texture was weird. The style was like claymation and Horton looked like he was made of rubber.
• There wasn't enough adult content. Usually the production team works in things to keep the parents entertained with stuff that goes over the heads of the kiddies. Not a lot of that here.

If you want to relax and potentially catch a nap, this one is for you. I'm not sure it's a good choice for very young kids, even though it is rated G, because Horton and the Whos are alternately in peril and that could be scary for the under 6 set. I can't recommend it, but I can't tell y'all to stay away either, so I'll hold my thumb sideways for this one.
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