If any children’s book were to become an instant, award-winning success, Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat” would certainly top the list. Anyone who has seen the 2003 live-action production of this same story, however, knows Director Bo Welch threw away the above expectations in the garbage.
Welch’s production follows the same basic plot as the 1957 Seuss classic, telling the story of two children left at home unsupervised on a rainy day with nothing to do. Details were added to lengthen and modernize the story, like the mother (Kelly Preston) working as a realtor and having a deceitful, scuzzy boyfriend (Alec Baldwin) who does not like children. Many of the additions to the plot were of a more adult appeal, likely with intentions of entertaining a slightly older audience. This twist came off as an absolute turn off. Potty jokes and obnoxious stunts filled the innocent, classic children’s story, burying the original plot to the point it was nearly unrecognizable.
In Welch’s production, Mike Myers’ role as the Cat comes off as being more of a bully than just an unexpected, bad influence of a houseguest like the character Seuss created. Just minutes after making his first appearance on screen, the Cat sings “That’s why they sent him to a vet to cut off both his ba… ba…,” nearly singing the entire word balls. Later in the movie after stepping on a garden hoe, the Cat utters “You dirty hoe.” The Cat’s one-liners and innuendos transformed the kid-friendly character from 1957 into an annoyingly unlikable, adult-friendly feline that becomes more and more unbearable throughout the movie.
While no profanity takes place, crude humor (if it can even be considered humor) is written into almost every bit of this 82-minute disappointment. Much of this misbegotten humor would likely go unnoticed by children, but the mere presence of it is an absolute abomination to Seuss’ legacy as a children’s author. Small acts of violence also find their way into this movie, like the Cat accidentally chopping off the end of his tail with a large cleaver. In another scene, the Cat pretends to be a piñata at a birthday party, resulting in a crowd of children whacking him with bats. Speaking of the Cat’s balls, watching him take one hit to the crotch from a boy with a large wooden bat was one of the highlights of the film.
Perhaps the most impressive (or only impressive) aspect of this movie was the set. From beginning to end, exaggerated vibrant colors and curvy shapes fill each scene. From the mother’s pink wardrobe to the curvy trees resembling lollipops, to the bright purple goo covering the living room, these details bring the whimsical, wacky world of Dr. Seuss to life. While the set may have looked like a Dr. Seuss book brought to life, it certainly did not feel like one. Despite the use of vibrant colors and attempts at humor used throughout the film, a dark vibe lingers that takes away all the fun.
At one point, the Cat sang “It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how.” Welch’s live-action production serves as a remarkable demonstration of exactly how not to have fun. The unfunny, almost hostile, in-your-face humor that fills the movie creates the exact opposite of the warm and fuzzy Dr. Seuss feeling so many of us grew up with.
Dr. Seuss’ books have always been some of the more challenging children’s books to read, but this movie certainly proved that a live-action Dr. Seuss movie could be even more challenging to watch.