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The Cat in the Hat Review
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
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Directed By: Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni
Written By: Caroline Williams, based on the book by Dr. Seuss
Runtime: 107 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated PG for action, some peril, mild language, and rude humor
Bill Hader – The Cat in the Hat
Xochitl Gomez – Gabby
Tiago Martinez – Sebastian
Matt Berry – Waffles
America Ferrera – Carmen
Quinta Brunson – Sherri
Giancarlo Esposito – Mr. Hoogeboom
Bowen Yang – Gary
Paula Pell – Patty
Titus Burgess – the Psychic Narwhal
If Hollywood was going to adapt Dr. Seuss’ classic children’s book, The Cat in the Hat, to the big screen again, animation was the best way to do it. Animation is also a preferable art form to bring the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss’ books to life onscreen. It’s all the more reason that the new animated feature, The Cat in the Hat, turns out to be a disappointing cinematic misfire.
The new CG animated feature reinvents Dr. Seuss’ rascally feline as part of a huge organization of magical creatures working for the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration (I.I.I.I.). However, the Cat in the Hat (Hader) has been causing copious mischief, mess, and mayhem, much to the dismay of his boss, Mr. Hoogeboom (Esposito).
Thanks to quick thinking by the Cat’s colleague, Sherri in HR (Brunson), Mr. Hoogeboom grants the Cat one last chance to save his job and his striped hat. He must bring joy to Gabby (Gomez) and Sebastian (Martinez), two siblings who’ve just moved to a new town with their mom, Carmen (Ferrera).
The move hits Gabby the hardest, as she believes she can no longer tap into her musical and artistic side in her new surroundings. The Cat arrives to cheer up the kids, but he brings along a cavalcade of magical items he was forbidden from using, including a pocket watch that can rewind time called the “Go-Backer.”
Unfortunately, the Cat’s misuse of the Go-Backer awakens a dangerous monster who wants the time-travel McGuffin. It’s now up to the Cat, the kids, and their talking Goldfish Waffles (Berry) to find the Go-Backer, save the day, and hopefully learn a heartwarming lesson along the way.
A better title for The Cat in the Hat would probably be “Overstimulation: The Movie.” The movie is certainly bright, colorful, and at times even whimsical and imaginative. However, the plot’s unrelenting chaos and cacophony render it an unrelenting, irritating assault on the senses.
Bill Hader is a great actor and comedic talent, but there’s nothing especially fun or funny about his Cat in the Hat. He sounds like a smart aleck and makes inane juvenile jokes. His newly realized cinematic persona might entertain some children, but he’s not particularly interesting or entertaining as a protagonist.
The movie poses an interesting idea for the character when Mr. Hoogeboom claims the Cat only seeks to entertain himself rather than the kids he’s there to help. The plot does call back to this character flaw later, but the subplot never receives sufficient exploration.
A story that potentially confronts the Cat in the Hat’s ego or narcissism sounds like an interesting idea, but the plot doesn’t go very far with it. Also, what is the dilemma about the Cat in the Hat creating too much of a mess? If the I.I.I.I. has magical contraptions that can clean up all the mess like in the book, then there’s no reason to get angry about his mistakes in the Mess-o-meter. Yes, in the original book, the Cat in the Hat makes a huge mess in the kids’ home, but he cleans everything up before he leaves.
The other problem with The Cat in the Hat is how it haphazardly attempts to channel and squish together the plots and conventions of several other, superior animated features. The story opens with two kids resembling the ones from the original book, except this time, they are hypnotized by digital devices.
That’s certainly an interesting, albeit derivative, premise. Are children so absorbed in their screens and devices that their imaginations are becoming dull? Does this cause creatures like the Cat in the Hat to struggle with their jobs or lose their magical edge? Unfortunately, the movie abandons this angle rather quickly.
Co-directors Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni try to throw everything at the wall, and nothing truly sticks. Although they bring an unhinged, childlike wildness to the narrative, the movie plays more like it will rile children up rather than engage or inspire them. However, that might’ve been the filmmakers’ intent.
The Cat’s goofy friends, the Things, are present. However, instead of the traditional duo of Thing 1 and Thing 2, the Cat in the Hat brings along a whole army of Things for the cinematic ride. The Things represent another disappointing aspect of the movie, as they come off as forced rather than funny.
The Things’ gimmick is that they’re wildly manic and speak by hamboning. They constantly slap each other and blow raspberries. On one hand, younger viewers might find these mischievous creatures entertaining, but their expansion within the world feels like a blatant, ill-advised cash grab that tries to make the Things into Minions 2.0 without understanding what made the Minions so successful in the first place.
The Cat even makes a meta-joke about the Things getting their own movie, which admittedly got one of the biggest laughs at the screening I attended.
The feral Something Monster that chases the Cat in the Hat and the kids throughout the adventure hints at an intriguing backstory that needed more emotional resonance. Once the Something Monster is fully visible, its secret becomes glaringly obvious. That’s not so much a bad thing, but the revelation lacks emotional impact or connection to the Cat in the Hat.
One area the movie executes well is its utilization of multiple animation styles. The Cat in the Hat’s magical world looks more cel-shaded, showcasing a flatter, more traditional, and two-dimensional animation style. Meanwhile, the human world utilizes a more familiar 3D-animated style and character models. The variety of animation styles across the two worlds is fun at times.
It’s also appealing to hear Matt Berry voice Waffles the Goldfish, even if his rivalry and antagonistic relationship with the Cat in the Hat are largely jettisoned.
Honestly, the best part of the movie was the animated Looney Tunes short, “Daffy Season,” that preceded it. Although “Daffy Season” would’ve been timelier had The Cat in the Hat been released earlier this year as planned, as it depicts Elmer Fudd and other Looney Tunes characters becoming obsessed with soccer, it’s still an entertaining Daffy Duck short, with the late Eric Bauza delivering another great performance as the legendary Looney Tune.
Ultimately, The Cat in the Hat clearly targets younger viewers, and there’s certainly enough to keep them entertained for under two hours. It’s bright, loud, and chaotic, and that might’ve been the directors’ and animators’ way of homaging Dr. Seuss.
Eventually, The Cat in the Hat somewhat finds its footing with its heartwarming ending and message. However, along the way, it constantly stumbles and bungles, derivatively evoking other animated features and lacks an identity of its own.
Where To Watch The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat hits theaters on November 6. Ticket and showtime information are available at the movie’s website.
