VOD film review: Horton Hears a Who
Review Overview
Visually sublime
8Dr Seuss' rhymes
8David Farnor | On 21, Mar 2017
Directors: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Cast: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett
Certificate: U
Watch Horton Hears a Who online in the UK: Disney+ / Apple TV (iTunes) / Prime Video (Buy/Rent) / TalkTalk TV / Google Play
On the 15th of May, in the jungle of Nool
in the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool
he was splashing, enjoying the jungle’s great joys
when Horton the elephant heard a small noise.
As far as he saw, it came from nowhere,
but a speck of dust soared right by in the air,
and Horton noticed how pretty it was,
with vivid bright colours and CGI pores.
“I wonder,” he thought, as he frolicked around,
“Could it be that tiny people just made that sound?”
And so honest Horton, voiced by Jim Carrey,
spoke to the speck hoping his sound would carry
– all the way down to Whoville below,
where Mayor Carell worried what people might know:
“If they find out I hear this beast in my head,
then I’ll surely lose all the town’s respect.”
Back in the equally luscious large wild,
an evil blue kangaroo has Horton riled.
Employing an evil gang of primates,
she mocks him and decrees Horton’s exiled fate.
At this point the directors become versatile,
depicting the struggle in anime-style:
he shouts, in front of a background that’s funky.
“Horton is fast, but kangaroo has monkeys!”
Engaging animals abound in all sizes,
with even small creatures full of surprises.
One finds a speck and promptly she cries:
“My world’s full of ponies, which poop butterflies.”
That combo of rhymes, which always amuse,
and vocals that relish the chance to infuse
Dr. Seuss’ age-old book with new wonder
makes for a smart adaptation that is no blunder.
If looking for a perfectly fun time to spend,
with a brother or cousin or even a friend,
this viewtiful fest of rhyme and laughter,
with picture-book morals, is what you are after.
Horton Hears a Who is available on Disney+ UK, as part of a £7.99 monthly subscription or a £79.99 yearly subscription.