Horton e o Mundo dos Quem!

I've got to make a mental note that movies that have trailers playing in the cinemas for the longest time, do not a boring movie make, even if the first half of the movie plays like the extended version of the trailer, telling us things we already know, spelling out the premise all over again.

Jim Carrey and Steve Carell unite on the big screen again after their short pairing up in Bruce Almighty, although this time they're animated as animals / creatures from Dr Seuss' fictional world. Jim Carrey voices Horton, an elephant who in moments where you least expect, spew lines of poetry as dialogue. We're introduced to his character from the onset, though his backstory isn't really fleshed out, except that there are those (like the Kangaroo) who hates all for what he stands for. And simply put, Horton exudes all qualities typical of what elephants are made out to be - excellent memory, frightened about the unknown, and trustworthiness.

These qualities are put to the test when he chances upon a speck on a clover. That speck turns out to be home for an ecosystem populated by Whos, minute creatures who seem to live very mundane, repetitive lives in their very own little paradise. Things start to go awry, especially with severe environmental changes, and despite the Mayor of Whoville (Carell) warning of the great unknown out there, like all predictors of impending doom, get ridiculed by the population. So begins the friendship between HOrton, trying to protect the world of his new found friend by relocating the speck to safe haven, and the Mayor, who must warn his disbelieving population about more dangers to come.

For a while it drags on, with childish banter between the two lead characters, and the plot by Horton haters to bring him down by destroying his toy of the moment, not acknowledging his mantra that a person's a person, no matter how small. They want proof, and they're not getting any, since the Whos are also laughing at the fact that there are bigger creatures out there, outside the realms of their known atmosphere. It's as if one's trying to convince a large group of atheist that there is a supreme being up there and he's up there watching our every move (ok, so Horton doesn't actually get to see them, but you get my drift).

But the struggling with existentialism, is what made Horton Hears a Who shine brightly, and made the ticket worthwhile. A pity we have to really wait out for it, but at least these tense moments came, better late than never, that really brought out enough drama and excitement that I never saw coming my way. Otherwise, the animation's pretty standard fare in 2D, and chock full of supporting characters (voiced by Seth Rogen, Carol Burnett, Dan Fogler, Isla Fisher, Amy Poehler and Jaime Pressly et al) just to ramp up the cute factor, without giving them much to do anyway, though I must admit the gorillas almost always crack me up (you should see what they can do with their bananas!)

Smart to debut this during the school holidays this week to catch hold of school going kids. Oh, and get yourself into the hall early as you'll get to see Ice Age's Scrat up to his antics to promote Ice Age 3, due on in Summer 2009 (yes, 2009!)

Horton the elephant (Jim Carrey) from the jungle of Nool hears a voice coming from a speck of dust. It turns out to be the voice of the Mayor (Steve Carell) of the microscopic town of Whoville where the Whos live. He tries to save the speck by placing it on top of Mount Nool. But nobody believes him, and the strict Kangaroo endeavors to stop him. No matter what the obstacle, Horton must save the Whos. After all, a person is a person, no matter how small.

I find both sides of the story very touching. Neither character is believed by anybody. Yet they both risk it all for what they believe. The ending is especially touching. It doesn't get better than the idealism of Horton. I love Horton crossing the bridge, but Vlad may be too much. It puts a little too much ugly danger in an otherwise beautiful kids cartoon. It's a short movie, and they probably needed to pad it to fill out a full movie. It's a sweet kids movie with a good message.

I'm telling the truth...i thought this movie would be a stinker from the teaser trailer and TV spots but this surprised me as well as every other person at the screening. It even surprised the film operator! Anyway, the great voice cast voiced by some great actors, Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell and even Seth Rogen(which is a nice change for him, from all his dirty cursing roles(don't get me wrong,i love him in those roles)). Dane Cook was a little annoying, but it wont really distract you from the big picture. In this film, Steve Carrell is the Mayor of Who-Ville, a town on a dandelion full of tiny people. Jim Carrey plays Horton...who is a elephant who finds a dandelion, picks it and figures out he must protect it because of Who-ville. Seth Rogen plays a rat like creature in his role. A supporting cast with Amy Poehler, Jonah Hill, Dan Fogler and much more. This film is great for little kids and a surprising delight for adults.

I guess it wouldn't be remiss if I've approached "Horton Hears a Who!" with some reservations as the trailers were anything but something to be excited about. Had it not been for the Whos and the Dr. Seuss tag that comes with the title, this latest computer-animated film from the "Ice Age" team would come off as yet another animal-on-a-mission flick straight from the assembly line. And films adapted from one of Dr. Seuss' books haven't been as successful as when they were in print, to put it lightly.

A relatively neutered Jim Carrey provides the voice for Horton, an elephant who hears a voice from a floating speck and discovers that there are people actually living in it in a place called Who-ville. Called the Whos, these people have a Mayor (voiced by an also-neutered Steve Carrell) who has 96 daughters and a son who won't speak. It's up to Horton to find a safe place for the speck to save Who-ville from destruction, even as the well-meaning pachyderm has to avoid all sorts of obstacles, including Sour Kangaroo, Vlad the Vulture, the Wickersham brothers, and other metaphors of McCarthyism.

As usual with such a thin material, the film has the obligatory additional scenes to pad the running time but all in all, it captures the spirit of its source, and it's a case where a G-rated film provides entertainment both to kids and their older companions as well. (I would have said "a rare case" but in this country, the G-rating is applied more liberally by the local censor board.) The animation is consistently good and a Japanese-inspired traditional animation does not feel out of place from the overall enjoyment material. The voice cast, according to the credits, involves some relatively big names, but other than Carrey and Carrell, none of the actors take attention from their characters and thus do not distract.

Fast-paced and touching, "Horton Hears a Who!" represents a step up for Blue Sky Studios, who has played supporting roles to Pixar and Dreamworks. I'm tempted to say that it's the best Dr. Seuss film adaptation ever, but that won't be saying much considering the other films involved. So maybe I'll just say it's one of the best animated films, which is anyway true.

In the jungle of Nool, the elephant Horton hears a voice in a speck; he uses a clover to rescue the speck of dust and he makes contact with the Mayor of Whoville. Horton discovers that in that tiny speck there is a city crowded of people and he decides to leave Whoville in a safe place. However, the evil Kangaroo does not believe in his words and finds Horton dangerous for the children of Nool, making them believe in what they can not see, hear or feel, and incites the animals against Horton.

With the message "A Person Is a Person No Matter How Small", "Horton Hears a Who!" is a lesson of respect and rights of the minorities through hilarious situations. The animation is awesome, the characters are nice and I liked this great family entertainment. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Horton e o Mundo dos Quem!" ("Horton and the World of Who!")