“The Cat in the Hat” An Energetic and Fun Animated Movie for the Whole Family

Meet the Cat in the Hat you don’t know! In the wonderfully whimsical tradition of Dr. Seuss, “The Cat in the Hat” comes to the big screen in his animated theatrical feature debut, an all-new epic adventure with an edge, where mischief, magic and mayhem reign supreme. Doing what he does best, the Cat spreads joy to kids in his hilarious, signature and singularly irreverent way, transporting them and audiences on a fantastical journey through a world they’ve never seen before.

In the movie, our hero takes on his toughest assignment yet for the I.I.I.I. (Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC): to cheer Gabby and Sebastian, a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town. Known for taking things too far, this could be this agent of chaos’ last chance to prove himself … or lose his magical hat!

After checking out all of the trailers for the animated “Cat in the Hat,” I had a big feeling that this movie would be a big hit for families and the younger ones. And, at a showing that I attended, it was great to see all the kids laughing and having a great time watching the movie with their parents. “The Cat in the Hat” delivers a colorful, stylized visual design, a quirky and irreverent vocal performance by Bill Hader and plenty of fun entertainment for the kids.

Bill Hader’s vocal work as the Cat not only received near universal acclaim from viewers and critics, it’s also one of the best parts of the movie. Hader easily strikes a delicate balance: he delivers a manic energy that captures the Cat’s iconic chaos without crossing into the exhausting or off-putting territory that plagued the live action 2003 adaptation. And his comedic timing and expressive voice work definitely anchors the movie.

While the animated movie delivers plenty of fun, simple gags, there is also a good amount of emotional weight underneath all the antics. The movie expands beyond the original book’s basic plot to explore the themes of family dynamics, sibling growth, and empathy (including a really poignant narrative arc that reminds children their parents were once young too). Some of the overall narrative can also be almost just as emotional as some of the classic Pixar films.

The comedy also lands across all age groups. For the kids, there is plenty of energetic

slapstick and absurd magical situations that easily keeps the younger children thoroughly engaged throughout the runtime. For the adults, there are quite a few clever jokes - including workplace/corporate satire and quick-witted banter - that give parents genuine laugh out loud moments.

“The Cat in the Hat” also delivers some very stand out moments that are highly entertaining. The Cat’s corporate back story is very hilarious and his chaotic antics at the workplace can easily draw huge laughs. There’s also the sequences where the movie utilizes cardboard moving boxes to bridge fantasy and real-word themes that are really well done. And, honestly, every moment featuring the “Things.”

Families and casual viewers have praised the colorful animation, the energetic voice performance by Bill Hader as the Cat, and the fun, fast paced humor for kids, though a segment of older viewers felt it strayed too far from the simple, classic tone of Dr. Seuss’ original book.

Cast: Bill Hader (The Cat in the Hat); Bowen Yang (Gary); Giancarlo Esposito (Mr. Hoogeboom); America Ferrera (Mom - Carla); Xochitl Gomez (Gaby); Tiago Martinez (Sebastian); Asha Marie (Rosie); Paula Pell (Patty); Matt Berry (Waffles)

Writer/director: Caroline Williams (writer); Erica Rivinoja (writer/co-director) (The Addams Family 2019); Dr. Seuss (based on the book by); Alessandro Carloni (director) (Kung Fu Panda 3)

MPA: Rated PG for action, some peril, mild language and rude humor   (running time 107 minutes)

• Universal and Illumination Entertainment planned to adapt The Cat in the Hat following The Lorax (2012), but put it on the backside in favor of The Grinch (2018), before Dr. Seuss Enterprises revoked their licenses and moved the film rights to Warner Bros. instead.

• The film is intended to launch a potential Dr. Seuss-oriented cinematic universe of films: possibly known as The Seuss-Verse.

• Eric Bauza who passed away twelve days before the film's release, is credited for providing some additional voices.

• Cat's past assignments are shown in the book's art style.