Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 1481
RT slug: dr_seuss_horton_hears_a_who
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dr_seuss_horton_hears_a_who
Release year: 2008
Runtime: 88 mins
Wide release date: 2008-03-14
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: 2015-11-25
Tomatometer final: 79%
Audience score final: 73%
Genres: Adventure, Animation, Kids & Family
Directors: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Writers: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio
Producers: Bob Gordon
MPAA rating: G
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-10-18 16:21:44
Updated: 2026-10-18 16:21:44
Animated elephant Horton finds a speck of dust floating in the Jungle of Nool. Upon investigation of the speck, Horton discovers the tiny city of Whoville and its residents, the Whos, which he can hear but cannot see. Horton forms a friendship with the mayor of Whoville, Ned McDodd, and promises to transport Whoville to safety. However, Horton encounters opposition from his jungle neighbors, who don't want to believe in the existence of Whoville.
Horton Hears A Who! is both whimsical and heartwarming, and is the rare Dr. Seuss adaptation that stays true to the spirit of the source material.
Canonical reviews: 135
Canonical fresh: 107
Canonical rotten: 28
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 135 (107/28), 79% (79.259% raw)
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-10-16 19:18:15
Snapshot Tomatometer: 79%
Snapshot review count: 135
Snapshot fresh count: 107
Snapshot rotten count: 28
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #4690 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| 20th Century Fox | distributor |
| 20th Century Fox Animation | production |
| Blue Sky Studios | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Carrey | Horton |
| 2 | Steve Carell | Mayor of Who-ville |
| 3 | Amy Poehler | Salley O'Malley |
| 4 | Jesse McCartney | Jo Jo |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1499 | processed | — | 2026-10-18 16:21:44 | Processed successfully into movie_id=1481 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4690 | 2026-10-16 14:18:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-10-16 19:18:15 | 79% | 135 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 135 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=135, fresh=107, rotten=28, tomatometer=79%. Net new reviews added=135, fresh=107, rotten=28. Current canonical totals=135 reviews, 107 fresh, 28 rotten, tomatometer=79% (79.259%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (135). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (79%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 290456 | Grant Watson | Fiction Machine | Fresh | 7/10 | 2024-12-13T03:45:25.000Z | 2024-12-13 03:45:25 | Charming, smartly written, and hugely funny, it is not just the best of the Dr Seuss adaptations but one of the best animated features of its year. |
| 290457 | Dan DiNicola | The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) | Fresh | — | 2021-03-22T22:44:53.000Z | 2021-03-22 22:44:53 | Parents and kids can rejoice. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! is a delight. |
| 290458 | Mike Massie | Gone With The Twins | Fresh | 6/10 | 2020-11-28T02:52:29.000Z | 2020-11-28 02:52:29 | Jim Carrey has never sounded more like Jim Carrey, which means the pudgy elephant seems animated around the voice talent of the wild comedian instead of around a fresh design. |
| 290459 | Mariló García | Cinemanía (Spain) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2020-11-05T17:40:58.000Z | 2020-11-05 17:40:58 | Full of color, light and fun. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 290460 | Richard Propes | TheIndependentCritic.com | Fresh | 3.5/4.0 | 2020-09-11T11:12:07.000Z | 2020-09-11 11:12:07 | Carell adds a surprising touch of tenderness as the befuddled Mayor and father of 96 daughters, one son and an ever-loving wife. |
| 290461 | Sean Collier | Box Office Prophets | Fresh | 6/10 | 2020-06-19T12:20:43.000Z | 2020-06-19 12:20:43 | It's pleasant enough; the segments in Horton's jungle are inventive and frequently funny, and the cast is fully committed if under-utilized. |
| 290462 | Debbie Lynn Elias | Behind The Lens | Fresh | — | 2019-11-13T02:51:50.000Z | 2019-11-13 02:51:50 | You may see it with your eyes, but you'll hear it with your heart. |
| 290463 | Dave White | Movies.com | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2011-04-04T13:26:03.000Z | 2011-04-04 13:26:03 | — |
| 290464 | Mike Scott | Times-Picayune | Fresh | 3/4 | 2009-10-09T06:26:46.000Z | 2009-10-09 06:26:46 | Hollywood has finally found the key to bringing a Seuss story satisfactorily to life. |
| 290465 | Fernando F. Croce | CinePassion | Fresh | — | 2009-08-27T00:50:54.000Z | 2009-08-27 00:50:54 | A frequently beguiling fantasy packed with ticklish sights and vocals |
| 290466 | Ryan Cracknell | Movie Views | Rotten | — | 2008-12-23T23:49:44.000Z | 2008-12-23 23:49:44 | Horton started as a book, less that 40 pages long. To make it a feature seems just a little bit wrong. The magic of Seuss isn't quite there. It's got the look but it's missing some flair. |
| 290467 | Brian Webster | Apollo Guide | Fresh | 75/100 | 2008-12-12T20:00:51.000Z | 2008-12-12 20:00:51 | Taking on Seuss has proven a challenge for Hollywood, but a nice balance has been struck here between authenticity and new ideas. This one's a winner. |
| 290468 | Christian Toto | What Would Toto Watch? | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-12-10T21:43:49.000Z | 2008-12-10 21:43:49 | Horton Hears a Who! -- Dr. Seuss' imagination never goes out of style. |
| 290469 | Felix Gonzalez Jr. | DVD Review | Fresh | — | 2008-12-10T12:53:32.000Z | 2008-12-10 12:53:32 | What is most remarkable about this film is the fidelity it retains to Seuss' work and intentions. |
| 290470 | Karina Montgomery | Cinerina | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-07-17T22:20:02.000Z | 2008-07-17 22:20:02 | Lovely and only marred by a slightly sagging middle and a gratuitous, tacked on pop song finale. |
| 290471 | Matthew Sorrento | Film Threat | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2008-06-21T22:23:05.000Z | 2008-06-21 22:23:05 | Even if Horton's world can't shine like Whoville, this movie's visuals keeps things vivid, while digital animation is so often crisp, precise, and cold. |
| 290472 | Austin Kennedy | Sin Magazine | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2008-06-18T10:40:43.000Z | 2008-06-18 10:40:43 | The movie is sweet, but not really memorable. |
| 290473 | Thomas Peyser | Style Weekly (Richmond, VA) | Rotten | — | 2008-05-08T14:10:54.000Z | 2008-05-08 14:10:54 | Earth, as Robert Frost thought, might be the right place for love, but television is certainly the right place for Dr. Seuss. |
| 290474 | Joseph Proimakis | Movies for the Masses | Fresh | 3/5 | 2008-05-06T03:07:21.000Z | 2008-05-06 03:07:21 | Sygkratimeno kai petyhimeno hioymor demeno me to eggyimeno ap' tin ypografi ton dimioyrgon toy Ice Age (2002) animation, to Horton Hears a Who den proorizetai pantheon, alla apotelei toylahiston aksiologotati epilogi kyrios (alla ohi apokleistika) gia nea |
| 290475 | Rich Cline | Shadows on the Wall | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2008-04-20T15:54:46.000Z | 2008-04-20 15:54:46 | Adds a manic spin that strains to convey far too many moral messages while overloading the film with wacky action. |
| 290476 | Stephen Himes | Film Snobs | Rotten | 5/10 | 2008-04-16T19:21:06.000Z | 2008-04-16 19:21:06 | The metaphysical angle is too awkward: Horton comes off like a Giant Flying Spaghetti Monster. |
| 290477 | Mike Sage | Peterborough This Week | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2008-04-15T18:39:05.000Z | 2008-04-15 18:39:05 | after the overcooked live action Grinch and nauseating Cat In The Hat, Hollywood has finally served up a tasty adaptation of Dr. Seuss. |
| 290478 | Jackie K. Cooper | jackiekcooper.com | Fresh | 7/10 | 2008-04-04T15:34:51.000Z | 2008-04-04 15:34:51 | Perfect for children, for adults not so much. |
| 290479 | Walter Chaw | Film Freak Central | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-04-02T17:20:12.000Z | 2008-04-02 17:20:12 | Teeters throughout at that juncture between masterpiece and piffle. |
| 290480 | Sean P. Means | Salt Lake Tribune | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-03-28T13:28:21.000Z | 2008-03-28 13:28:21 | [The filmmakers] capture the whimsy of Seuss' drawings and add a nice tactile feel. |
| 290481 | Matt Brunson | Creative Loafing | Rotten | 2/4 | 2008-03-26T14:44:00.000Z | 2008-03-26 14:44:00 | A mediocre movie's a mediocre movie, no matter how overhyped, overblown and overbearing. |
| 290482 | Eric D. Snider | EricDSnider.com | Fresh | A- | 2008-03-23T18:04:45.000Z | 2008-03-23 18:04:45 | Succeeds where previous Dr. Seuss adaptations have fallen short, most notably by using animation -- fluid, elastic, genuinely Seussian animation -- to tell the story. |
| 290483 | John Wirt | Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-21T12:30:34.000Z | 2008-03-21 12:30:34 | Despite the stretch of adapting Horton's tale to a feature movie, Dr. Seuss' original story and the worlds he created, plus some particularly winning characters, put Horton Hears A Who! over the top. |
| 290484 | Cynthia Fuchs | PopMatters | Rotten | — | 2008-03-21T08:56:31.000Z | 2008-03-21 08:56:31 | The elephant, the stars' names, the digital production, the critical buzz, and the product tie-ins -- with all this going on, the movie can't help but be huge. |
| 290485 | Kat Brown | Empire Magazine Australasia | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-03-19T21:23:28.000Z | 2008-03-19 21:23:28 | Charming, funny, with great turns from a juicy cast and the added bonus of minimal finger-wagging. Just stay well clear if you're not in a good place for psychosis-inducing imagery. |
| 290486 | Ken Hanke | Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2008-03-18T23:53:27.000Z | 2008-03-18 23:53:27 | Claims that the film truly captures Dr. Seuss' story and spirit are at the very least exaggerated. |
| 290487 | Kevin McCarthy | BDK Reviews | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-03-18T07:53:40.000Z | 2008-03-18 07:53:40 | The kids will love this movie... |
| 290488 | Tim Brayton | Antagony & Ecstasy | Rotten | 5/10 | 2008-03-17T22:21:35.000Z | 2008-03-17 22:21:35 | Occasionally charming, frequently dull, and terrible just often enough to be dissatisfying more often than not. |
| 290489 | Jeffrey Westhoff | Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-03-17T13:04:05.000Z | 2008-03-17 13:04:05 | After two painful messes, Hollywood gets Dr. Seuss right with Horton Hears a Who! |
| 290490 | Richard Roeper | Ebert & Roeper | Rotten | — | 2008-03-17T10:16:51.000Z | 2008-03-17 10:16:51 | The animation's ok. I didn't like Jim Carrey. I thought he was a distraction. |
| 290491 | Ethan Alter | Film Journal International | Rotten | — | 2008-03-17T08:53:00.000Z | 2008-03-17 08:53:00 | Only scratches the surface of what makes the author's works resonate. |
| 290492 | Felix Vasquez Jr. | Cinema Crazed | Fresh | — | 2008-03-17T03:40:43.000Z | 2008-03-17 03:40:43 | It's better than live action "Cat in the Hat," and "The Grinch," even if that's not saying much. |
| 290493 | Urban Cinefile Critics | Urban Cinefile | Fresh | — | 2008-03-16T20:38:22.000Z | 2008-03-16 20:38:22 | Delightfully frivolous, but grounded in reality, this inventive animation based on the Dr Seuss story, will amuse, enchant and inspire one and all - no matter how big or small. |
| 290494 | Joe Lozito | Big Picture Big Sound | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-16T16:38:53.000Z | 2008-03-16 16:38:53 | Delightful adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic is sure to entertain the kids, and the parents won't be too far behind. |
| 290495 | Peter Sobczynski | eFilmCritic.com | Rotten | 3/5 | 2008-03-16T11:51:19.000Z | 2008-03-16 11:51:19 | None of the millions of dollars in cutting-edge animation and high-priced talent have managed to come up with anything quite approximating the charms and delights that Dr. Seuss was able to conjure up in just a handful of storybook pages. |
| 290496 | Robert Roten | Laramie Movie Scope | Fresh | B | 2008-03-16T09:32:01.000Z | 2008-03-16 09:32:01 | The animation is beautiful and the story's nice message of tolerance booms across loud and clear. |
| 290497 | Gina Carbone | Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine) | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-15T23:28:08.000Z | 2008-03-15 23:28:08 | Could do for intelligent design what An Inconvenient Truth did for global warming. |
| 290498 | Rob Gonsalves | Rob's Movie Vault | Fresh | B | 2008-03-15T22:15:38.000Z | 2008-03-15 22:15:38 | A bit too much on the frenetic side, the movie is nonetheless colorful and diverting. |
| 290499 | Michael A. Smith | Nolan's Pop Culture Review | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-15T21:45:09.000Z | 2008-03-15 21:45:09 | An enjoyable movie that will bring back many fond memories, |
| 290500 | Prairie Miller | NewsBlaze | Fresh | — | 2008-03-15T15:36:48.000Z | 2008-03-15 15:36:48 | Pure Seuss, with plenty of Flower Power to spare. Not to mention that when paying attention to all the possibilities of this planet and beyond, size indeed matters. |
| 290501 | Diana Saenger | ReviewExpress.com | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2008-03-15T10:40:02.000Z | 2008-03-15 10:40:02 | Although he's often over-the-top in some of his films, to his credit Carrey puts his ego aside in this movie and lets Horton be the star of the film just as he was written to be. |
| 290502 | Jim Lane | Sacramento News & Review | Rotten | 2/5 | 2008-03-15T09:00:04.000Z | 2008-03-15 09:00:04 | It amounts to making entertainment for adults by hijacking a story intended for kids... |
| 290503 | Christopher Smith | Bangor Daily News (Maine) | Fresh | B- | 2008-03-15T07:49:23.000Z | 2008-03-15 07:49:23 | Seuss' genius, updated for the masses. It's a curious mix, and it isn't always successful, but there's no doubt that this jumbled tale is the best mass-market adaptation yet of one of Seuss' works. |
| 290504 | Betty Jo Tucker | ReelTalk Movie Reviews | Fresh | — | 2008-03-15T06:30:26.000Z | 2008-03-15 06:30:26 | Watch your back, Dumbo. You have heavy competition now from Horton! |
| 290505 | Linda Cook | Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-03-14T22:55:21.000Z | 2008-03-14 22:55:21 | I think you'll love this pachyderm. On Horton's charms I must stand firm. |
| 290506 | Pete Hammond | Boxoffice Magazine | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-03-14T14:59:56.000Z | 2008-03-14 14:59:56 | A sparkling 'toon that ought to have the family crowd lining up. Seamlessly blends the charming Seussical brand of wit and wisdom with animated thrills today's movie audiences expect. |
| 290507 | Liz Braun | Jam! Movies | Rotten | 2/5 | 2008-03-14T14:06:15.000Z | 2008-03-14 14:06:15 | Everything in the movie (Whoville in particular) seems hyperactive, noisy and shrill -- and yet, for all the manufactured carry-on, there isn't enough story for a feature film. |
| 290508 | Unknown Critic | Kansas City Star | Rotten | 2/4 | 2008-03-14T14:04:04.000Z | 2008-03-14 14:04:04 | It feels empty and over-inflated, with the book's simple charms lost in the filler dreamed up by screenwriters Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul. |
| 290509 | Glenn Whipp | Los Angeles Daily News | Rotten | — | 2008-03-14T14:02:15.000Z | 2008-03-14 14:02:15 | As long as it sticks to Seuss -- which, given the brevity of the book, amounts to about a third of the 88-minute running time -- Horton makes for charming, kid-friendly entertainment. |
| 290510 | Carina Chocano | Los Angeles Times | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2008-03-14T13:59:14.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:59:14 | The sad thing is that this Horton doesn't stick by its central message -- that every voice counts -- the way Horton sticks to the Whos. It pretends to, but the sincerity is just too scary to commit to fully. |
| 290511 | Kevin Carr | 7M Pictures | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-03-14T13:53:42.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:53:42 | best Seussical adaptation for the big screen yet |
| 290512 | Joe Neumaier | New York Daily News | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T13:52:18.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:52:18 | The team behind Ice Age capture the Seussian visuals without squishing emotions or squelching the sing-songy language. Listen closely: It's the sound of a million Who fans cheering. |
| 290513 | Lou Lumenick | New York Post | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T13:49:11.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:49:11 | Frequently charming, beautifully drawn and far more faithful in spirit to the source material than those dreadful Ron Howard-Brian Grazer productions. |
| 290514 | M.E. Russell | Oregonian | Fresh | B | 2008-03-14T13:36:43.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:36:43 | The computer-animated Horton is largely funny and faithful to the spirit of the Dr. Seuss book. |
| 290515 | Gary Thompson | Philadelphia Daily News | Fresh | B- | 2008-03-14T13:32:09.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:32:09 | Stretched to 85 minutes and padded with action, the story often loses focus and resonance, and seems crammed with modernized material, as if Seuss' themes were insufficient. |
| 290516 | Carla Meyer | Sacramento Bee | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2008-03-14T13:27:34.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:27:34 | At times, the action in Horton overwhelms its softer, more Seussian traits. At these moments, the picture comes across as just another computer-animated film -- and there must be 100 by now -- about an animal on a quest. |
| 290517 | Tom Keogh | Seattle Times | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-03-14T13:20:09.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:20:09 | This Horton Hears a Who! never loses sight of the simple but perennially powerful theme at the heart of Seuss' tale: 'a person's a person, no matter how small.' |
| 290518 | Joshua Tyler | CinemaBlend | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-03-14T13:17:39.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:17:39 | It's a success as a movie, but it still isn't quite perfect as a Seuss adaptation. |
| 290519 | Chris Hewitt | St. Paul Pioneer Press | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T13:13:52.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:13:52 | Horton is mostly up to the challenge of adapting Seuss' brief, deceptively simple books to the 90-minute format of kids' movies. |
| 290520 | Richard Corliss | TIME Magazine | Fresh | — | 2008-03-14T13:11:46.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:11:46 | The movie proves a funny, elevating ride that should beguile the young and keep their parents or grandparents enthralled too. For once, the G rating stands for Glorious. |
| 290521 | Mary Elizabeth Williams | Salon.com | Fresh | — | 2008-03-14T13:09:20.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:09:20 | doesn't have the brisk economy of the original book, but the animated Horton feels nevertheless close to the sweet, quirky heart of Dr. Seuss. |
| 290522 | Joshua Rothkopf | Time Out | Rotten | 3/6 | 2008-03-14T13:09:10.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:09:10 | Yes, Horton Hears a Who! has been dragged into the modern age, nowhere near as hyperactively as the Shrek movies, but not without damage. |
| 290523 | Claudia Puig | USA Today | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-03-14T13:06:17.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:06:17 | Horton Hears a Who! is razzle-dazzling and artful, and it builds on Seuss' words by the clever cart-full. |
| 290524 | Joe Morgenstern | Wall Street Journal | Fresh | — | 2008-03-14T13:04:41.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:04:41 | When Horton sticks to the sweet, funny spirit of its source, though, all's right with the worlds, big and little. |
| 290525 | Peter Howell | Toronto Star | Fresh | 4/4 | 2008-03-14T13:03:08.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:03:08 | This is animation most animate, a kid-pic so rare, that even adults will fall off their chairs! |
| 290526 | Amy Biancolli | Houston Chronicle | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T13:00:04.000Z | 2008-03-14 13:00:04 | On the 14th of March, from the Land of L.A., comes a film based on Seuss that I'm happy to say, isn't overblown junk like The Cat in The Hat -- a movie that messed with the book and fell flat. |
| 290527 | Rick Groen | Globe and Mail | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T12:55:40.000Z | 2008-03-14 12:55:40 | Compared with those mega-budget predecessors, the adaptation sticks pretty close to the text and tone of the book, faithful enough to earn its just reward. |
| 290528 | Glenn Gaslin | E! Online | Fresh | A- | 2008-03-14T10:18:58.000Z | 2008-03-14 10:18:58 | It works. As a kid flick, as a legitimate comedy, as a worthy extrapolation from the original book. The rendering of Theodor Seuss Geisel's characters and worlds here feel remarkably lifelike and put rerecent live-action monstrosities to shame. |
| 290529 | Tom Long | Detroit News | Fresh | B+ | 2008-03-14T10:17:51.000Z | 2008-03-14 10:17:51 | Horton Hears a Who! brings a masterwork into the here and now with both respect and wide-eyed enthusiasm. So smart, so stimulating, so much fun. |
| 290530 | Fred Topel | Can Magazine | Fresh | — | 2008-03-14T10:09:51.000Z | 2008-03-14 10:09:51 | It's metaphysically literal, or literally metaphysical. |
| 290531 | Lisa Kennedy | Denver Post | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2008-03-14T10:05:41.000Z | 2008-03-14 10:05:41 | It's a relief then that writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio have fun with the belief that all humor doesn't have to be of the wink-nudge variety to appeal to adults in the 'plex. |
| 290532 | Nancy Churnin | Dallas Morning News | Fresh | B+ | 2008-03-14T10:04:03.000Z | 2008-03-14 10:04:03 | Directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino direct with a keen eye for bringing Dr. Seuss' whimsical drawings and humanistic message to CG life. |
| 290533 | Peter Rainer | Christian Science Monitor | Fresh | A- | 2008-03-14T10:00:42.000Z | 2008-03-14 10:00:42 | It's so funny and good-natured that I can't imagine anybody not smiling through it. Not even a Grinch. |
| 290534 | Michael Phillips | Chicago Tribune | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2008-03-14T09:59:16.000Z | 2008-03-14 09:59:16 | Your enjoyment of this G-rated enterprise will have everything to do with how much you're willing to overlook: how much story padding, how many references to Henry Kissinger or Apocalypse Now or MySpace. Does Seuss need any of this? |
| 290535 | Laura Emerick | Chicago Sun-Times | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T09:56:30.000Z | 2008-03-14 09:56:30 | If you're willing to ignore the Hollywood gloss and enjoy the cinematic experience, you'll find a Horton that's faithful, if not 100 percent, to the spirit of the beloved children's classic. |
| 290536 | Andrea Gronvall | Chicago Reader | Fresh | — | 2008-03-14T09:52:55.000Z | 2008-03-14 09:52:55 | The tolerance and loopy poetry of the beloved book by Dr. Seuss have been nicely captured in this CGI adaptation. |
| 290537 | Ty Burr | Boston Globe | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2008-03-14T09:50:20.000Z | 2008-03-14 09:50:20 | Horton Hears a Who! represents a fresh, and mostly refreshing, approach in Hollywood's pillaging of the good doctor's oeuvre. |
| 290538 | Michael Sragow | Baltimore Sun | Fresh | A- | 2008-03-14T09:47:18.000Z | 2008-03-14 09:47:18 | Carrey and the animators imbue Horton with resilience and elan that merge into an oddball grace, and Carell is more touching as the beleaguered Whoville mayor with 96 daughters |
| 290539 | Sara Michelle Fetters | MovieFreak.com | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T09:15:09.000Z | 2008-03-14 09:15:09 | Horton is an elephant, and elephants are faithful 100-percent. Too bad we human beings can't always say the same thing, Horton Hears a Who! a wonderfully entertaining reminder that the world is far larger place than just our front doorstep. |
| 290540 | John Beifuss | Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2008-03-14T09:13:07.000Z | 2008-03-14 09:13:07 | Seuss' stories depend on an economy of line, both in their rhymes and their drawings. 'Horton,' to some extent, respects this... |
| 290541 | Cole Smithey | ColeSmithey.com | Fresh | A | 2008-03-14T07:47:18.000Z | 2008-03-14 07:47:18 | "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who" is an inspired cinematic adaptation that improves on the book in a way that a movie of this magnitude should. |
| 290542 | Brandon Fibbs | Christianity Today | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T07:44:59.000Z | 2008-03-14 07:44:59 | Explores the innate value in each of us, the need for persistence in doing the right thing no matter the odds, and it's a metaphor for faith itself. |
| 290543 | Jeffrey Lyles | Gazette (MD) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-03-14T06:17:09.000Z | 2008-03-14 06:17:09 | a flat-out winner that's funny and has a great message for kids and adults alike. |
| 290544 | MaryAnn Johanson | Flick Filosopher | Rotten | — | 2008-03-14T06:15:06.000Z | 2008-03-14 06:15:06 | [W]hat has Hollywood done with this gentle plea for tolerance? It has been turned into something that looks astonishingly like far-right propaganda about how Christians are a persecuted minority -- as if this were 100AD in the Roman Empire... |
| 290545 | Nell Minow | Beliefnet | Fresh | A- | 2008-03-14T04:28:19.000Z | 2008-03-14 04:28:19 | They finally got Dr. Seuss right in this warm-hearted and heart-warming story of the elephant who is "faithful 100 percent" and the world on a little speck of dust that he rescues. |
| 290546 | Daniel M. Kimmel | Worcester Telegram & Gazette | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-14T03:40:20.000Z | 2008-03-14 03:40:20 | It's almost as if the filmmakers watched the two recent live action Seuss adaptations and vowed to avoid all the mistakes that were made. |
| 290547 | Rebecca Murray | About.com | Fresh | A- | 2008-03-13T21:51:06.000Z | 2008-03-13 21:51:06 | Horton Hears a Who! is lovable and embraceable (like the film's main character) and touchingly funny. |
| 290548 | Willie Waffle | WaffleMovies.com | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-13T20:58:54.000Z | 2008-03-13 20:58:54 | Kids will laugh at Horton's antics, while parents won't sprain any muscles rolling their eyes. |
| 290549 | Jeffrey M. Anderson | Combustible Celluloid | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-13T20:51:24.000Z | 2008-03-13 20:51:24 | Carrey's performance is uncharacteristically measured and relaxed, and he's funnier than he has been in years. |
| 290550 | Steven D. Greydanus | Decent Films | Fresh | A- | 2008-03-13T19:54:07.000Z | 2008-03-13 19:54:07 | One book can't contain Horton's dogged heroics!His stoical pluck shows up all other stoics!And it gets even better! I'm pleased to relateThat Horton's the very best Blue Sky to date. |
| 290551 | Sean O'Connell | Filmcritic.com | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2008-03-13T19:31:02.000Z | 2008-03-13 19:31:02 | Exquisite... Listen closely to Horton Hears a Who! You might be surprised by what you hear. |
| 290552 | Adam Fendelman | HollywoodChicago.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-03-13T19:26:53.000Z | 2008-03-13 19:26:53 | While the crisp CG animations are enough to move this film into the cartoon greats category, also the all-star cast, hilarious wit and virtuous messages have instantly made Horton Hears a Who! into a children's classic. |
| 290553 | Nick Schager | Slant Magazine | Fresh | 3/4 | 2008-03-13T18:50:32.000Z | 2008-03-13 18:50:32 | Joyously maintains the rhythmic syntax and considerate spirit of Dr. Seuss. |
| 290554 | Brian Orndorf | BrianOrndorf.com | Fresh | B | 2008-03-13T18:42:08.000Z | 2008-03-13 18:42:08 | Horton Hears a Who still shines with a fresh coat of mass-appeal shellac, just don't walk in expecting something as cozy and magical as the original book. |
| 290555 | Diva Velez | TheDivaReview.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2008-03-13T17:58:05.000Z | 2008-03-13 17:58:05 | After ghastly, eye-corroding recent efforts, Ron Howard and Mike Myers, I'm looking at you - Horton Hears a Who offers a welcome and wonderful respite to those convinced we might never see a worthy feature adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book. |
Showing the latest 100 canonical reviews for this movie.