Cat in the Hat (2003)

"So good it breaks your heart for not being better...  Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Editor's Note 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.

	Alec Baldwin
	Amy Hill
	Clint Howard
	Dakota Fanning
	Danielle Chuchran
	Kelly Preston
	Mike Myers
	Sean Hayes
	Spencer Breslin
	Alec Berg, et al. - Screenplay
	Alex McDowell - Production Designer
	Bo Welch - Director
	Brian Grazer - Producer
	David Newman - Original Music By
	Don Zimmerman - Editor
	Dr. Seuss - Based On Book By
	Emmanuel Lubezki - Cinematographer

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 5 of 10
Myers sprinkles in some "mature" humor to provide a few laughs for the older folk in the audience, b

Rolling Stone 3 of 10
I hated How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which was a smash for Jim Carrey. Cat, another - Peter Travers

Chicago Sun-Times 5 of 10
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is a triumph above all of production design. That's partly beca - Roger Ebert