First published in 1957, The Cat In The Hat is one of the most-loved and best-selling children's books ever. It's also a mere 1,600 words -- and even at 82 minutes, the movie version seems like a big stretch.
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:36
Fresh:5
Rotten:31
Average Rating:3.4/10
Consensus: Filled with double entendres and potty humor, this Cat falls flat.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for mild crude humor and some double-entendres
Runtime: 72 mins
Genre: Childrens
Theatrical Release:Nov 21, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $100,446,895
Synopsis: This adaptation of the classic children's book stars Mike Meyers (AUSTIN POWERS) as the wily talking cat with a tall striped hat and more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Set in a colorful... This adaptation of the classic children's book stars Mike Meyers (AUSTIN POWERS) as the wily talking cat with a tall striped hat and more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Set in a colorful make-believe world, the film tells the classic tale of a sister and brother, Sally (Dakota Fanning) and Conrad (Spencer Breslin), who pass a rainy afternoon with their crotchety baby sitter Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill), during which they receive a visit from the mysterious Cat in the Hat, who leads them on a series of colorful, illogical, silly misadventures. Meanwhile their mother (Kelly Preston), her paranoid boss (Sean Hayes), and her phony boyfriend (Alec Baldwin), present obstacles for the children as they become part of the Cat's chaotic world. With candy colored sets that pop off the screen and zany special effects that give the story a decidedly 21st century spin, this movie presents a fast-paced and very nontraditional rendering of Dr. Seuss. The rhyming lines that usually characterize Dr. Seuss stories are referenced here, but modern jokes that riff on television advertisements and pop psychology are given more importance. Dakota Fanning is utterly adorable as little Sally, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 are delightful in their chittering and acrobatics. A bright and happy film packed with dazzling stunts, DR. SEUSS' THE CAT IN THE HAT is an entertaining treat. [More]
Starring: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning
Starring: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill, Sean Hayes, Brittany Oaks, Taylor Rice
Director: Bo Welch
Director: Bo Welch
Screenwriter: David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Alec Berg
Producer: Brian Grazer
Studio: Universal Pictures
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Reviews for Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
The best argument yet made for extending artists' rights beyond the grave.
The younger the viewers, the better reactions are bound to be, while grownups will sit still in varying states of bemusement and discomfiture.
The Cat in the Hat is long on visual dazzle but short on warmth, and the humor is excessively raunchy for a family film.
It is hard to say who is less recognizable in The Cat in the Hat, Mike Myers or the actual Cat in the Hat.
Small kids should love it, and parents may find themselves pleasantly amused.
This is not your father or mother's Cat in the Hat, certainly, and it has the decency -- or disregard -- not to be.
It's perfect for parents looking for harmless entertainment to keep the young ones engaged during the holidays, but less than perfect for anyone else.
Represents everything corrupt, bloated, and wrong with mainstream Hollywood movies.
The Cat in the Hat proves yet again that the wonderful children's books of Dr. Seuss do not translate to live action.
A semi-intriguing abomination, the movie The Cat in the Hat takes a piece of classic childhood Americana and turns it into something garish, dumb, ugly and senseless.
Even at an embarrassingly short 82 minutes, Cat is stuffed with inane filler.
The movie squanders most of Dr. Seuss' idiosyncratic charm in favor of blaring overstatement.
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is a triumph above all of production design. That's partly because the production design is so good, partly because the movie is so disappointing.
Latest News for Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
August 01, 2007:
Trailer Bulletin: Horton Hears a Who
The last few times somebody tried to turn Dr. Seuss into a movie, the results were ... How the Grinch Stole Christmas and (dear lord) The Cat in the Hat. And then somebody got... More...
June 02, 2006:
Mike Myers to Adminster Some "Self-Help"
Funnyman Mike Myers looks poised to make a comeback after his "Cat in the Hat"-inspired vacation, and one of his new projects will be a goofy comedy about a nutty... More...
March 11, 2005:
Fox & Blue Sky to do "Horton" via CGI
The Hollywood Reporter brings us news that Fox and Blue Sky Studios have won the rights to bring Dr. Seuss' classic "Horton Hears a Who" to the big screen. Blue Sky's... More...
October 28, 2003:
News, reviews, links and pictures of The Cat. ![]()
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