 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
- Review Date: May 3, 2004
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Too mature for the kids who are reading the book.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie isn't for the kids who are reading the book -- in its quest for a commercially-rewarding PG rating it has aged itself out of the youngest audience. It's not right for your five-or six-year-old. There is surprisingly rude and crude humor including double entendres and almost-swearing, potty humor, and other bodily function jokes. The Cat picks up a muddy garden implement and refers to it as "a dirty hoe" and spells out the s-word. The Cat is hit in the crotch. There is a lot of comic peril that may be too intense for younger children. An adult character drinks beer.
What's the story?
Based on the classic Dr. Seuss story, this live-action film stars Mike Meyers as the mischievous Cat. Meyers' interpretation of the Cat seems to be a master of vaudevillian shtick with a few of the voices from The Wizard of Oz and a sort of demented Mary Poppins thrown in for what turns out to be very good measure. Here, the Cat is an "I'm here to teach you a lesson," sort of guy to his two young friends. Conrad (Spencer Breslin) must learn to follow the rules and Sally (Dakota Fanning) has to learn to loosen up and not be so bossy. And they have to learn to appreciate one another. Also new to the film, a neighbor (Alec Baldwin) schemes to marry the kids' mother and have Conrad sent to a military boarding school. Meanwhile, the Cat creates absolute chaos and the kids react with a mixture of horror and delight in seeing things like that "don't you touch anything" living room covered in splotches of purple goo. Jellybean-colored sets (and Mom's just-dry-cleaned dress) are cheerfully destroyed along with, Mom's rules, some of the kids' ideas about themselves, and the laws of physics.
Is it any good?
The great thing about the irrepressibly anarchic Cat in the Hat is that even Hollywood can't contain him. They can stretch out the story with filler that ranges from the superfluous to the distracting and once in a while reaches the level of oh-no-not-that-again. But every time the Cat takes over, it is entertaining. Meyers' energy and audacity -- and his astonishingly animated expressions under all that fur -- keep the movie on track. This is important because very little of what is added to the story is worth the effort.
The mom-neighbor subplot isn't very original or interesting, but fortunately it does not take too much time away from the real story, which is the undeniable pleasure of watching the Cat destroy and create chaos in the perfect house. That's what keeps this movie working. We get both the fun of imagining all of that and the satisfaction of a happy ending. And Meyers is simply a hoot to watch, with able support from the kids (especially Fanning) and the fish (voice of Sean Hayes).
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why Sally had a hard time with her friends and why Conrad had a hard time following rules.
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AGE
Not for my five year old
This movie only proved that I need to not trust the PG rating where my six year old is concerned, and need to do some research before I take him to a movie. A group of kids beat the Cat in the Hat with bats. The Cat in the Hat says "son of a ....". The Cat in the Hat takes aim at one child's head with said bat. The cat picks up a garden hoe and says "dirty h*". Then, just to further drive the point home for those of us who might have missed it, he calls it, "baby." This made my son look at me with wide-eyes. This is a terrible movie for any age. It's not funny even at an adult's level, and it's completely inappropriate for anyone under the age of 12, yet it doesn't have enough smarts or humor to keep anyone older than 8 interested. FLOP. I bet it'll make a ton of money.
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AGE
I HATE IT! I think Dr. Suess would roll over in his grave with this movie. It's a shame that a classic children's book has been made into garbage. Shame on Mike Myers for participating in this production! I thought my 7th grade students would like it, but it should not be shown in a 7th grade classroom. It promotes cursing, has a beer brand clearly shown, and has way too many perverted and sexual inuendos. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR KIDS OF ANY AGE!
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AGE
the cat is in the hat
I love the movie i have it on vcr. i have been watching it about every night i think it is hilarious. i dont hink the language is crude or the humor. there are only two time when son of b**** was said and the dirty hoe part i think kids wouldnt know the difference. ohh and when he gets hit in the crotch. it was humor to ry and break a pinata. it is a great move i recommend it for ages 2-13
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AGE
8 and older
CSM is wrong this is definitely NOT for 5 year olds.
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AGE
I sat down to watch this movie with my 6 year old and my 4 year old thinking a Dr. Seuss-based movie had to be great for the kids. I was so terribly wrong!
Most of the nasty stuff went over my kids' heads (thankfully), but I almost turned it off anyway. It has so much crude humor, sexual references and language references that I could hardly believe this would be movie marketed to kids! I will never assume a movie is appropriate for my kids again regardless of how appropriate it may seem by the appearance.
Personally, I wouldn't allow my kids to watch it even if they are bit older because there is very little positive I can say about it. Too much gratuitous junk in it. When I turn on a kid's movie, I expect it to be appropriate for them. :(
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AGE
Horrible Movie
The Dreamworks people should be shot for what they did to Cat in the Hat. You can definitely tell that Dr. Seuss is dead. It made me furious to watch this movie. It was inane, offensive and bad, bad, bad.
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AGE
Super for all the family
As I write this my almost 5 year old and her 9 and 11 year old brothers are watching it. I can hear the laughter almost continuously! I am very strict about the movies my kids watch. specially regarding violence. This is just plain funny. Yes there are some innuendoes but the younger kids just wont get it.
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AGE
Why Bother?
Why did they bother to put in a crude joke "you dirty hoe" when they knew they were making a movie for children? This really makes me angry. I don't need to hear stupid stuff like that and I certanly don't want children in my care to hear this stuff either!
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AGE
I was prepared to hate it
I have resigned myself to the fact that I'll be seeing a lot of stupid children's movies for the next 15 years. And so I took my sons to see this with some resignation. But, it was actually palatable. It teaches some good lessons at the end, and Mike Meyers is very funny. I thought my toddler wouldn't be as interested as the older kids, but he loved it. There is enough shlap to appeal to the silly-loving toddler crowd. Luckily, most of the off-color jokes are subtle enough that the kids miss them, and the scary parts are pretty tame. A nice bit of fluff for the fam.
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Kid, 10 years old
November 24, 2009
AGE
Guy In The Sweater
Hi I Am You're Host The Guy In The Sweater
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| Topics: | book characters |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Bo Welch |
| Cast: | Alec Baldwin, Dakota Fanning, Kelly Preston, Mike Myers |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 82 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 21, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | March 16, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | mild crude humor and some double-entendres |
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