Both whimsical and heartwarming. The rare Dr. Seuss adaptation that stays true to the spirit of the source material.
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Adorable 'toon fun for all, no matter how small.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 4 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Parents need to know that this movie is based on Dr. Seuss' beloved children's book. The book's wide fan base, coupled with the popularity of voice actors Jim Carrey and Steve Carell -- not to mention a great deal of marketing power -- should make most kids, especially those under 12, interested in seeing the film. Its message, like many of Seuss' tales, is one of inclusion and protecting those who can't protect themselves. There's not much in the way of iffy content, either, aside from a little mild potty humor. Even Vlad, the slightly scary bird, is funnier than he is disturbing.
Families Can Talk About
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- Families can talk about the movie's message. Kids: What does Horton's motto -- "a person's a person, no matter how small" -- mean? How does he prove that he means it? Families can also discuss how the movie stacks up against the book. Are the extra characters and storylines in keeping with the spirit of Dr. Seuss' original? Do you like this animated adaptation better than live-action ones like The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Why or why not?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!
What’s the Story?
In this adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic Horton Hears a Who!, beloved elephant Horton is voiced by Jim Carrey. Horton, as any Seuss fan knows, lives peacefully in the Jungle of Nool until the day he hears a nearly inaudible call for help from a teeny, tiny speck, which he places on a clover. As it turns out, that speck is home to Whoville and its citizens, the Whos. Following his motto that "a person's a person, no matter how small," Horton promises the Mayor of Whoville (Steve Carell) to keep Whoville safe, even though residents of the Jungle, led by the sour Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) think Horton is either crazy or a liar and want to destroy the speck.
Is It Any Good?
Carrey and Carell are the perfect combo to play Horton and the Mayor. With their impeccable timing and incredibly expressive voices, they capture their characters' sense of awe and insecurity. The film expands the book's character pool to create a huge family for the Mayor: He has a wife (Amy Poehler) and 96 daughters. Also, Jo Jo (Jesse McCartney) is now the Mayor's loner, misunderstood son instead of a random Who. There are other differences between the original text and the film, but most work just fine to pad the story.
What's especially refreshing is that, by keeping the adaptation animated, there are no costumed actors to distract from the story's positive message. Horton firmly keeps the focus on his promise to protect the Whos because he believes in the inherent value of all beings. That's a powerful -- and difficult -- concept for very young kids to grasp, but somehow Dr. Seuss (channeled by this big-studio production) makes the lesson both approachable and very entertaining.
Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Director: Jimmy Hayward
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: 3/13/2008, DVD release: 12/8/2008
MPAA Rating: G
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: 3/13/2008, DVD release: 12/8/2008
MPAA Rating: G
Our Members Say
See all 70 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Better than the Book
Better than the book. Both are awesome, but it seems this has been edited, and edited for more entertainment.
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I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
good for kids, bad for teens
It is a good movie, but I can tell that teens will not like it!
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I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Not recommended for young kids
Very disappointed in the language. Too much potty talk. And the bird was really scary for my 5 year old. While the overall message of the film was good, I think it went over his head and what did stick was the "bad" stuff. Wish I would have scrolled through these parental reviews more before getting this film.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A GREAT MOVIE THAT WILL MAKE LITTLE KIDS LAUGH OUT LOUD!!!!!
This movie is a very funny movie to watch with your family. Young children are garetied to like it. Even some adults will get atleast one laugh out of it. SOME MILD PERIL MAY BE SCARY FOR VERY YOUNG VIEWERS NOT FOR KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 4.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A Funny movie that's perfect for the whole family!!!
This latest Dr Seuss film is a funny movie that is perfect for the whole family. I think think that kids ages 5+ will love this movie . Parents won't have to worry about their kids watching this movie. There is nothing wrong about this movie. The action is mostly cartooon-ish and the language is just mild insults. I really recommend this movie to families who like animated movies that have talking animals in it. I gave this movie an A to an A -. I thought that this movie was pretty funny and that the animation was pretty good.This is something that the whole family would enjoy. I like this film a lot!!!
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Perfect family film.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Perfect family film.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Perfect for older kids, but not preschoolers.
This movie was ful of action, however I was unimpressed with the language for my daughters (4 and 20 months). While I was up and down chasing my 20 month old around (the movie definitely did not hold her attention after the first 20 minutes), I caught the use of the word "idiot" at least seven times before losing count. The word "boob" was also described in a degrading manner either to someone and/or about them. These are not words I would encourage my 4 year old to use. Also, some of the characters are menacing, scary, and downright rude, and my 4 year old hid her eyes several times throughout.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
Crazy but fun for all
I just found this so original. The first viewing I only saw in bits - and wasn't that impressed, if not a little confused, but when I sat down and watched the whole thing I loved it and so did my son. Most four year olds won't understand absoloutely everything but will be entertained by the humour and super imaginative animation. It is also quite a beautiful story and a little deep too - gives you something to think about.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
bad movie...boring
BORING!
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
No Matter How Small...
The movie is great and it teaches an important lesson, no matter how small you are, you are still there and you are important too. It also teaches that you can be what you want to be. the only reason why I give it 4 stars is because of the violence.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
My kids liked it.
This movie was l little crude with some of the language but if you teach your kids that some to the names they said were bad and that is not the right thing to do I think it will be alright for them to see.My kids enjoyed the movie. I didn't really care a whole lot for it, but hey its a kids movie.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
Awesome!!
This movie is for kids 4 and up because you see Horton's butt and it gets sad at times but it is a great movie. It's by doctor seuse and her books and movies are very funny. This is kid apropiate.Go ahead and see it!!
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
i laughed
its a really funny movie.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
Not awful
This movie is not a really bad movie as far as letting your kids see it. I think it is a matter of how the adults standerds are. The worst realy thing they have in the movie is the mayor is called a boob. They do not say this word sexually at all. Its just said like someone would say idiot. Thats really as far as I saw the only bad thing. The movie is not scary but may a little scary for really really small kids. For example- SPOILER: The mother kangeroo hires a scary bird to destroy the flower that has a world on it. At this time she does not realize that there really is a world on it. At the end the people cage horton and pokes him with sticks I belive. NO blood is shown. They also almost drop the flower with the speck-world on it into like some sort of asid thing. But they save it. There is some cartoon violence like that but NOTHING graphic. I think many kids should be able to handle it. Its not really bad. Many kids should do fine!
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
Wonderful!
Horton Hears a Who is one of my favorite movies! I loved & so did my whole family :)
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Probably the best kiddie movie I've seen in a while!
This film had beautiful animation, paying very faithful tribute to the world that Dr. Suess has created. The story also proves a positive message of perserverance. The voice acting was great, and I love the casting choice. The music made each scene that had it better and the humor was overall suprisingly smart!
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
very cute
this movie is a cute funny movie that the whole family can enjoy and most likely will enjoy. this movie is also a laugh out loud comedy. do not miss your chance to watch this movie
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Kapooly STINKS
(Kapooly is the review under mines) This movie was awsome! It was so funny and I loved the ending. Little kids would be entertained by the bright and cool effects and it is a must see movie!
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| 50% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
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