The Cat In The Hat

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It’s probably a good thing that genius author Dr Seuss wasn’t alive to see this mean film version of one of his best-loved books. He certainly wouldn’t be pleased that his story of a cat running amok in a house while babysitting two children has been turned into a rude adventure centring around a scene-chewing (and not in a good way) Mike Myers as the feline. And parents of young children won’t be impressed either, as many of the jokes seem to be aimed at young teens who think anything involving vomit is hilarious. (There are also quite a few double entendres that will fly over the heads of the under-6s, but that older kids will get… or perhaps ask you to explain).
It must have been difficult to adapt Seuss’s slim tome (it’s less than 2000 words long) for the screen, especially as the Cat himself is so unlikeable, but despite millions being spent on the splashy, colourful (and, well, tacky) design and the too-good-for-this cast (Kelly Preston, Baldwin and Fanning), there’s really nothing to recommend about this film. Save your money and buy the book instead!