The Bar

Starring: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Dan Fogler, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen

Director: Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino

Writer(s): Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Theodor Geisel

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Rating: G

Official Bar Score: 

Horton Hears a Who is an adaptation of a Dr Seuss book with the same name. The story centers around an elephant named Horton who one day while going about his normal activities thinks he hears a tiny voice coming from a speck that is floating through the air. After chasing down the speck and convincing some of his fellow partons that he is crazy, Horton finds that he is indeed correct and on this tiny speck is the entire world of the Who’s known as Whoville. Determined to live by the code of every person is important no matter how small, Horton sets out to take the speck to a safe place where it can’t be bothered.

Of course let me say right off the bat that despite the cast and the type of movies they’ve made lately this film is very much a children’s film. It may seem a little like stating the obvious but this isn’t the type of film that is a kid’s film but still has a bunch of jokes aimed at adults, this film stays about 98% (I did the math) on a child’s level. Case in point I took my daughter and she loved it. That’s not to say it can’t be enjoyed by adults because me and my wife both loved it as well, I just don’t want people to go into the movie expecting something different.

The cast itself contains a lot of a who’s who (pun unintentional) in terms of up and coming comedic actors and actresses with the main roles being filled Jim Carrey (Horton) and Steve Carrell (the Mayor of Whoville). Though Burnett and Rogen both play large roles as well. On that note, after seeing the Apatow films who would’ve pegged Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill to be in a children’s animated film.

Back to the topic at hand, I’m usually happy with animated films as long as they don’t go overboard with the sappiness or singing and simply aren’t boring. Horton Hears a Who doesn’t fall in any of those categories. While there is a good moral to the story the writing never takes you into the land of sappy and if my memory serves me correctly we only get two songs both done out of comic relief rather than your usual “let’s sing to explain our situation” type of songs.

Overall I’ll take a little off for somewhat of a slow start but I’d still give the film a solid 3 1/2. It’s a good film to take the kids to and one that won’t make you wish you weren’t there.

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