The Cat in the Hat (2003)

User Rating:

3.3/10   

Director:

Bo Welch

Writers (WGA):

Dr. Seuss (book)
Alec Berg (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Don't mess with the hat.

Plot:

Sally and Conrad are two bored kids whose life is turned up-side-down when a talking cat comes to visit them.

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Imagination | Critically Bashed | Single Mother | Meat Cleaver

Awards:

3 wins & 13 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 21	8:30 PM	TBS
Sat. Nov. 21	10:15 PM	TBS

Cast

Mike Myers	...	The Cat
Alec Baldwin	...	Quinn
Kelly Preston	...	Mom
Dakota Fanning	...	Sally
Spencer Breslin	...	Conrad
Amy Hill	...	Mrs. Kwan
Sean Hayes	...	Mr. Humberfloob / Voice of the Fish
Danielle Chuchran	...	Thing One (as Danielle Ryan Chuchran)
Taylor Rice	...	Thing One
Brittany Oaks	...	Thing Two
Talia-Lynn Prairie	...	Thing Two (as Talia Prairie)
Dan Castellaneta	...	Thing One / Thing Two (voice)
Victor Brandt	...	Narrator (voice)
Daran Norris	...	Announcer
Bugsy	...	Nevins

Also Known As:

Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild crude humor and some double-entendres.

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Switzerland:6 (canton of Zurich) | France:U | Malaysia:U | Finland:K-3 | Australia:G | Ireland:PG | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:I | Japan:U | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl | Taiwan:GP | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #39519) | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Among the props stolen from the production were an 8-foot pair of glasses, a 6-foot by 4-foot by 8-foot anvil, a 4-foot key and a golf ball 7 feet in diameter that weighed more the 200 pounds - total value: $55,000. The stolen props where later found at mall dumpster, covered in graffiti.

Goofs:

Continuity: Right before The Cat comes in with the D.I.R.T. machine, Sally and Conrad are standing next to each other holding hands as the door begins to open. When the door opens, they are no longer holding hands and standing a few feet apart.

Quotes:

Mom: [on phone] What do you mean you're leaving? You're a baby sitter. Baby sitters don't leave, they sit. Baby leavers leave.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

Clean Up

Torture for the whole family

This movie isn't entertaining. It's that simple. The jokes aren't funny, the acting by the main character is terrible. Dr. Seuss is spinning in his grave. The makers of this movie took a childrens book, threw in unnecessary sexual innuendo, and stuck it on a screen near you.

The movie plays itself out with joke-a-minute style. Unfortunately, none of the jokes are funny. Both the children's humor and the adult humor fails to please. Which brings up another point. Adult humor has no place in this movie. I have no problem with adult humor, but it shouldn't be in a Dr. Seuss movie. Not only was the adult humor unfunny, it did nothing more than cause confusion for the kids in the audience. Not to mention the explanations parents have to come up with when kids question the jokes.

Mike Myers is just bad in this movie. I had to go home and watch my collection of his movies and a few old Saturday Night Live episodes to reassure myself of his comedic ability. He completely failed to give the Cat a unique personality. If you're looking to see Myers perform half of his different SNL and movie characters in the period of an hour and a half, all while wearing a hideous cat suit, then watch this movie.

If you do get stuck seeing this atrocity, there are some redeeming points that will make it bearable for you. The sets are beautiful, almost a perfect rendition of what most people think a three-dimensional version of the Seuss universe would look like. Also, the performances of Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin are applaudable. Had they not been required to share the spotlight with that ungodly cat, the movie could've passed for good. Oh, and there's a scene where Myers is abused by a group of children, which provides some comic relief. Unfortunately, the Cat survives this incident to abuse the audience for another twenty minutes.

Avoid this movie if you can. Some parents will have to be dragged to it because their kids are more concerned with watching the Cat bounce around for 90 minutes than they are with seeing a good movie. Oh, to be young and naive again...