Horton Hears a Who!

Plot synopsis:
In the Jungle of Nool on the fifteenth of May where a warthog breifly ran, a caring, imaginative elephant named Horton (Jim Carrey), the jungle's nature teacher, takes a dip in the pool. A dust speck floats past him in the air, and he hears a tiny yelp coming from it. Believing that an entire family of microscopic creatures are living on that speck, he places it on top of a pink, fuzzy clover that he holds in his trunk.In fact, he finds out the speck harbors the city of Who-ville and all its inhabitants, led by Mayor Ned McDodd (Steve Carell). He has a loving wife, Sally (Amy Poehler), 96 daughters (Selena Gomez) who all have names that start with the letter H, and one son named JoJo (Jesse McCartney), who, by Who custom, is next in line for the mayoral position. JoJo does not want to become mayor, which leads him to become sullen and refuse to talk, despite Ned's giving him extra attention.The Mayor finds out from Dr. Larue (Isla Fisher) that Whoville will be destroyed if Horton does not find a "safer more stable home." So Horton resolves to place the speck atop Mt. Nool, the safest place in the jungle. This outlook earns Horton nothing but ridicule from the inhabitants of Nool, especially from the strict official of the jungle, the Sour Kangaroo (Carol Burnett), who tries to get Horton to give up the speck, so as not to put supposedly ridiculous ideas into the heads of the children. Ever faithful to his motto, "A person's a person, no matter how small," Horton refuses. Also taking force toward Horton are the Wickersham brothers (Frank Welker and Dan Castellaneta), a group of bullying monkeys who love making misery.All the small incidents that Horton experiences on his trek across the jungle have a catastrophic effect on Who-ville. He almost falls off a rickety bridge over a gaping chasm with a river of dangerous crocodiles at the bottom, which causes a dentist's needle to accidentally slip into the Mayor's arm while getting a root canal. When Horton left the clover outside overnight, it frosted over, which created winter in the summer down in Whoville. As the other Whos become suspicious, the Mayor finally reveals the truth, but at first, the Whos do not believe him any more than the animals believe Horton.In the meantime, the Kangaroo has enlisted a nefarious buzzard named Vlad Vladikoff (Will Arnett) to get rid of the speck by force after feasting on a zebra carcass. Vlad manages to steal the clover with the speck on it, flee from a chasing Horton and a leopard and drop it from hundreds of feet into a valley full of nearly identical clovers, (the one holding with the speck has a striped stem). The impact nearly demolishes Who-ville like an earthquake. Horton painstakingly picks 2,999,999 clovers through the field and finally finds it "on the 3 millionth flower." The earthquake, combined with hearing Horton's voice through the drain pipe, is enough to convince the rest of the Whos that the mayor is not crazy, and they all tell Horton they believe in him.The Kangaroo finds out that Horton still has the speck, and, as her patience completely runs out, organizes a mob by telling lies to get rid of the speck once and for all. The animals plan to rope and cage Horton, but the Kangaroo turns this into a chance for attention, and offers Horton an ultimatum: give up the speck and "admit" he was wrong and that she was right, or pay the price. Despite a heartfelt speech from Horton that clearly touches the animals, Kangaroo still takes this refusal as an insult to her authority, orders them to proceed, and drop the speck into a pot of boiling beezlenut oil to "teach him not to make up stories of people on specks!"The Mayor enlists all of his people to make noise by shouting, "We are here," as well as playing a variety of instruments, so the animals can hear them. JoJo runs off to Whoville's abandoned Star-Studying Tower and soon Ned takes off after him. Inside, he reveals his ingenious invention: the Symphony-Phone, a giant machine that serves as an orchestra, and proceeds to add it to the mix of sounds. Still, the sound is not loud enough. The animals do not hear anything and the Kangaroo, who has had Horton caged, takes the clover, holds it over the oil and releases it. In a last-ditch effort to be heard, JoJo grabs the horn used to project Horton's voice, runs up the highest tower and yells "YOPP!" A sound wave emerges and ripples up to the already pressured clouds and collides with them, causing the clouds to break and the sound to come through.Hearing the Whos' cries, Rudy (Josh Flitter), the Kangaroo's son (who has been in his mother's pouch throughout the film despite being old enough to be out and too large for her pouch), grabs the clover before it hits the oil and returns it to Horton, refusing his mother's orders to return to her pouch. The animals finally realize the atrocity they almost committed. The Kangaroo is miserable for her behavior, but Horton forgives her, and offers his friendship, which the Kangaroo accepts. At the end of the film, everyone helps Horton carry the speck up to the top of Mt. Nool. After a big number of the cast singing REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling", the camera zooms out, revealing that along with numerous other worlds in our universe, the jungle of Nool is just one speck among numerous others like our planet.

Tags: comedy

Review:
Overall, a splendid effort from 20th Century Fox."Horton" tells the story of an eccentric elephant named Horton (voice of Jim Carrey) who stumbles upon a floating speck that is actually an infinitesimal world that is home to thousands of tiny little creatures called Whos.
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.
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.
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 saw the first teaser trailer for Horton Hears a Who a few months ago, and I have to say that it was a little off putting, it looked kind of strange and like it might be another Cat in the Hat lousy movie, but then they started advertising it a little more and it looked more cute.
But Horton Hears a Who proves otherwise and is a wonderful film to watch.Horton is an elephant just enjoying life, he's a teacher and is loved very much by the little animals of the jungle.
The actors seemed like they just had a great time getting into character, Steve Carell and Jim Carrey are a brilliant combination, so their voices added a lot to the film.
I very much recommend Horton Hears a Who, it's a terrific family film and just a fun movie to watch for the afternoon, I think Dr. Suess would be very proud too.9/10.
For the first time in years, I can state wholeheartedly that this film is the most faithful adaptation of Dr. Suess's children's books EVER being brought to the big screen with the voice talents of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and of course, Carol Burnett.
With all that aside, "Horton Hears a Who" not only will be the best animated film of the year, but may also win an Oscar for "Most Faithful Adaptation of a Children's Classic".
It's interesting to see a pretty big creature like Horton concerned with protecting the tiniest creatures of all...even if the others in the jungle of Nool may not believe that's he's right about all those tiny people on the speck (well, maybe Rudy, the Sour Kangaroo's son, may think he could be right...)Lovable characters like Horton, who can be serious at times (and is truly determined) but also wild-and-crazy, full of imagination and whimsy.
The look of the film is visually stunning, and a good voice cast (CBS Radio's Charles Osgood narrates; the mayor and his wife are Steve Carrell and Amy Poehler, and Jim Carrey of course is Horton.
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.
Finally, the film world has gotten it write in the presentation of Horton Hears A Who. There is no added surprises to this film, unlike its predecessors The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat. The storyline follows the book almost exactly, with the extra time coming from adding detail instead of adding new events.Jim Carey does a great job in bringing the character of Horton to live, without being completely over the top.
The characters are brought to live with the pure intent of the Dr. Seuss without seeming fake.This is a great film for kids, especially those who know the story very well.
Blue Sky Studios, the people behind the "Ice Age" trilogy (third movie in production) are a trustworthy studio when it comes to making some really delightful and appealing pieces of CGI but with "Horton", they seem to have outdone even what they themselves thought about their talents!
All lives are worth saving, no matter how supposedly small and allegedly insignificant.The story is the typical frustrating one in which nobody believes the one who is telling the truth, until near the end, and then all of them do the right thing.Overall - a good message, presented in a so-so story but a gorgeous one to watch on Blu-Ray..
is wholly imaginative fun that feels like it's channeling the good doctor's playful exuberance and ingenious creativity with every syllable and splotch of animation.The biggest difference between this movie and the recent adaptations of Seuss's The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas is that Horton Hears a Who!
My daughter talked about seeing this movie for weeks before we went to see it, as it is based on two of her favorite Dr. Seuss books - Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg. Unfortunately, they completely twisted the characters around and stuck in too much cinematography and filler and got away from the plot.
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.
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.
The message of the movie is certainly welcome, whether you're simple enough to hijack a nice children's story to tout anti abortion ideas, or if you want to take from it what a small child would; to care about others despite their differences, status, or what other people may think about them.
It's like translating the Bible and making Satan the good guy!In light of how far THE GRINCH strayed, I especially loved HORTON HEARS A WHO because it didn't wander far from the source material or convolute the moral of the story.
after living through the travesty that was the live action adaptation of The Cat in the Hat,i wasn't sure what to expect.this movie is not live action,which is a plus.i was pleasantly surprised by it.it's actually clean wholesome fun the whole family can enjoy.there's a little action and adventure,and a lot of comedy.the movie is also touching.it also has a message,that basically says,we're all significant and we all deserve to be treated equal.it's not heavy handed at all.in fact,i thought it was quite subtle.i also liked the voice cast.Jim Carrey was very good as Horton,Steve Carell was also good as his mouse friend,and Carol Burnett as the Kangaroo who rules the forest was also good.parents,this is a movie you can take your kids to(and enjoy yourself)without worrying if there is anything that is not appropriate..
The one thing that doesn't disappoint is the voice cast with Jim Carrey fine and not too silly as Horton, Steve Carrell as the Mayor quite good, Carol Burnett evil as the Kangaroo and Charles Osgood wonderful as the narrator.Worth a look at some point...probably on DVD or cable..
Horton the elephant (Jim Carrey) from the jungle of Nool hears a voice coming from a speck of dust.
It started in 200 with Ron Howard's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and was followed by Mike Myers starring in "The Cat in the Hat." Both of those films were live action, but this most recent adaptation of "Horton Hears a Who!" has dipped into the ever expanding realm of computer animation.
Blue Sky Studios is helming the animation on this picture, most notably known for their "Ice Age" movies.The classic Seussian tale begins with an elephant named Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey) who decides it's too hot and that he wants to get cool.
All the while, the rest of the jungle thinks Horton is crazy, but nobody more than the big bad Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) whose mission becomes to destroy the clover "for the children!" Meanwhile, Horton is right about the speck and inside the tiny dust ball is a town named Whoville that's four sizes as small.
Horton speaks with the mayor of Whoville (Steve Carrell) and together they decide that the speck needs to reach a safe and stable place at the top of Mount Nool or Whoville will be destroyed.Perhaps what was most surprising about the film was the number of styles and animation that co-directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino were willing to explore.
Luckily for the audience of "Horton," Blue Sky has a grip on what they wanted visually from the story and the beauty of computer animation is that everything that is seen on screen is amazingly calculated and detailed.I also wanted to briefly note that the score composed by John Powell was great (save for an unfitting song at the end).
It's unfortunate that many of their roles are fairly small, especially Arnett as the bounty hunter vulture, Vlad."Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" is a movie that was surprisingly good.
The voice talent was excellent, Jim Carrey as Horton and Steve Carell as the Mayor of Whoville were both fantastic, and their supporting cast was absolutely phenomenal as well (I was particularly taken with Will Arnett as Vlad the Vulture).The story was not 100% Dr. Seuss canon, but it the artistic license taken was not even close to insulting to Seuss' memory, and most of the differences from the poem/story and the screenplay are barely noticeable.I refuse to give away spoilers, though I will say one thing: Give this movie a chance.
i'm only 17 but i thought this was a very funny movie that anyone can enjoys, and my friend did too!So in the end if you have a family, or if you just want to see a movie that will make you feel good and laugh Horton Hears a Who!
We nearly walked out several times, and stayed only so I could add it to my movie "life list." The film jumps the tracks early on, when, as Horton is setting out to find a safe place for the speck, it breaks into several minutes of a totally different and markedly inferior Japanese animation style, including voices in Japanese with subtitles.
The vivacity this movie is bound to make the audience feel is brought upon by the awesome attributes it contributes to the exact purpose of what it is trying to do, and that is to give an entertaining, fun filled adventure that the whole family is bound to enjoy.From the tongue-in-cheek jokes, to the incredibly defining character personalities, this movie is almost near perfect in everything it does, and though most might think I am exaggerating a bit, I love animation, and this is probably my favorite animation that I have seen that has came out in recent years, even counting Disney Pixar.
It feels so great to finally see quality movies coming back into theaters.The cast was perfect, Jim Carey was the bomb as Horton, Steve Carell really adds a good feeling to the movie!
Horton the kind elephant who is voiced by Jim Carrey is a wonderful adaptation of Dr Seuss' character about the lovable elephant.I was getting worried that Hollywood would never be able to get the children's books by Dr. Seuss right...
Horton defends the speck by saying that "a person's a person, no matter how small." Horton talks to the Mayor and tells him that he is going to put the speck in a safe place and out of danger.(My Comment) The animated movie "Horton Hears a Who" is an adaptation of the Dr. Suess children's book.
I don't usually applaud something unless it's borderline genius.i've found this bothersome about CGI's for ages, in the olden days you got animations from Disney that told kids "lying is wrong" and "dont eat too much" but although we've only gone 20-30 years into the future since the last great moral cartoon most CGI's and other animations now tend to substitute moral messages for toilet humor.and then comes Horton Hears A Who, and it doesn't hit you with morals in one of those childish fashions but really speaks them with a lot of heart.i've been wrong about movies in the past, i said that both Pirates of the Caribbean and Superman Returns didn't look any good but was wowed by them, I judged pirates because it was made by Disney and wanted someone to give Superman a bad review because i felt it couldn't be as good as it sounds but wow, wow and again wow.
I wasn't expecting anything good from this film, considering that the other two live-action movies inspired in the books of the Doctor Seuss (The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat) were absolutely horrible, painful to watch.Fortunately, "Horton" was a much better film, with a nice animation, funny voice performances and very likable characters.
JIm Carrey and Steve Carrel made a great job in this movie.This is a very good for children that adults can enjoy as well.
While he is being mocked by his neighbours, Horton tries to ensure that the speck stays safe while the Mayor of Who-ville wonders how he can let people know the truth without getting sectioned.In a discussion on the merits of Wall-E, someone said to me that they much preferred Horton Hears a Who. Rather than immediately scoff at such an idea, I decided that I should at least watch this other "great" film so that I could make my mind up for myself.
Arnett, Burnett, Pressly, Poehler and a few others all add good support, although I didn't think much of Fisher or Rogen, who both felt like their names were more important than their bits.Overall Horton is a colourful and quite fun family film that is easy to enjoy and the "pro-faith" message, although obvious, isn't too obtrusive.
It is a true adaptation of Dr. Seuss's book and the voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell and Carol Burnett were each performed par excellence!
The Story begins with a lovable friendly elephant named Horton(Jim Carrey), one day finds a speck on a clover , he begins to think that there is something living in it, but the other animals thinks he is crazy, turns out he's right.
is a great movie with a very well written storyline and a terrific voice cast.The animation in this movie is absolutely beautiful,unique and it really brings Dr. Seuss's art style to life the way I think he would have wanted it to had he been around to see it,it's colourful and wacky,the way you would want an animated movie based on a Dr. Seuss book to look.I loved Jim Carrey's voice work as Horton the elephant,he clearly got to improvise some of his lines as well which I really liked and his voice definitely suited the character,I also liked Steve Carell and Seth Rogen,I am a huge fan of all three of these comedy actors.A quick and very fun movie,Horton Hears a Who is very enjoyable and imaginative and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good animation or family movie.
Jim Carrey is once again phenomenal playing the charming &...(read more) funny Horton.This movie may not be a classic like 'Nemo' & Lion King, but is still entertaining enough for adults & excellent for children, though a few characters in the film could've been explored further.
Some of the characters were great, especially the Whoville Mayor's son, Jo-Jo, Vlad the vulture, and both Carrey and Carrell did a good job as Horton and the Mayor.The movie must have been about 90 minutes (just enough).
Tremendous story with good characters, comedy and animation.So I give Horton hears a Who!
The comedy pair-up of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell works in the film quite a bit!Overall, this is a fun movie that the whole family can enjoy.
He is just so talented it is a very believable voice and gives a great quality to whatever he is doing a voice for.This movie is about an elephant in the jungle named Horton who thinks he hears a voice coming out of a small flower.
So now Horton has to find some way to show every one that no matter how small you are a person is still a person.Jim Carrey and Steve Carell make the perfect team in this great movie.
Since, despite its flaws (a corny anime-like sequence, an Emo Jojo), HORTON HEARS A WHO is splashy family movie fun.Rating: **** out of 5..
In "Horton", Jim Carrey is equal with Steve Carell and Carol Burnett.One movie based on a Seuss book that was downright lousy was "The Cat In The Hat".