"Children want the same things we want: to laugh, to bechallenged, to be entertained, and delighted," said Theodor SeussGeisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.
What an ideal statement. Unfortunately, Dr. Seuss' The Cat inthe Hat, starring Mike Myers, does not give any of thosethings.
It goes against everything I loved about the book, and it isinfuriating that Seuss' brainchild was warped into a flop.
Universal Studios and director Bo Welch have turned thiswell-loved book into an 82-minute movie with plenty of computereffects, big-name stars and no charm.
I am sure everyone is familiar with the story, it has beentranslated into more than 15 languages and over 200 million copieshave been sold worldwide.
Brother and sister, Conrad (Spencer Breslin) and Sally (DakotaFanning), are left at home while their mother Joan (Kelly Preston),a realtor who works for the germophobic Mr. Humberfloob (SeanHayes) is at work.
Joan is hosting a reception and has to have the housespic-and-span or she will be fired.
When the babysitter Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill) falls asleep, the boredkids are thrilled to see "The Cat in the Hat" show up to bring somefun on a dreary day.
In the film, Sally plays a control freak wielding a Palm Pilotto-do list, and Conrad is the perpetual rule-breaker. The swindlingand rotten neighbor (Alex Baldwin) is dating their mother and islooking to send Conrad off to military school.
The movie never quite finds its audience -- the acronym for theCat's car they drive to town spells out a curse word along withother non-sly sexual references throughout the film.
Myer's, like in his Saturday Night Live performances and AustinPowers flicks, doesn't do a good job entertaining anyone, despitethe slick production.
The genius and imagination has been squeezed out of "The Cat inthe Hat" in the transition from book to film. It was made into anordinary format movie like Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch StoleChristmas with Jim Carrey -- in the end, the kids learn aheartwarming lesson, the bad guy is ousted after being humiliatedand parents and kids make up.
