Not too many people remember or care about the 2003 film “The Cat in the Hat,” mainly because it was a horrible excuse of a movie and an insult to the great Dr. Seuss.
Three years after the “Grinch” movie made a crap-ton of money, some big Hollywood exec thought it might be a good idea to repeat the same feat with the most beloved Dr. Seuss book of all time, “The Cat in the Hat.”
Except this time, instead of making it a children’s movie, it would also be aimed at old fans who grew tired of Dr. Seuss making up words when he couldn’t find words that rhymed. So bring on the double entendres, castration and poop jokes because we want to reap your childhood for cold hard cash.
Fortunately, the movie tanked. It ruined the feel of the Dr. Seuss book, which was suppose to teach children about responsibility through the Cat. Instead, it made the Cat seem like a home invader whose sole intention was to corrupt little Dakota Fanning and her chubby brother, with his bad jokes and stupid car, the Super Luxurious Omni-directional Whatchamajigger, aka S.L.O.W. (formally the Super Hydraulic Instantaneous Transporter). Classy.
Funny enough, this is one of my favorite movies of all time, not because of how bad it is, but because of all the superficial things they added to the film to make it “adult-friendly.” I fell for it all. Yep, they got me. Like most people, I detest Hollywood for ruining their favorite novels and, in this case children’s books, when they make them big budget movie. But in my case, I’d never read the Dr. Seuss book and when I did, I liked the movie better.
Mike Myers’ role as The Cat is the best thing he’s done since “Austin Powers in Goldmember.” He delivers his jokes, musical numbers and uncatlike mannerisms like Robin Williams (minus the buckets of sweat and the in-your-face-crack-addict thing). Myers is the film’s guiding force and the pivotal piece to the puzzle that is this cinematic masterpiece to which naysayers refuse to give credit.
OK, that’s a little too much. I know it was a crappy film that sold your childhood into slavery after killing its parents, but I don’t care. I like it. That’s my well-rehearsed defense of this movie. If you don’t like it, then, I don’t know, don’t watch it.
- Osizimete Aken’ova is a film and video
studies senior.
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