#REVIEW: “THE CAT IN THE HAT”

By Mr. Will Wong

Directing and writing duo Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja team-up to bring a beloved Dr. Seuss icon to the big screen in Warner Bros. Pictures Animation‘s latest release, THE CAT IN THE HAT. The tale is modernized, keeping the familiar chaos and whimsy that we’ve come to love, intact, thanks to a fantastic performance from Bill Hader.

The Film centers on said the Cat (Hader), who is fighting to keep his magical hat and job at the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC, (The I.I.I.I.), after causing disruption and chaos at his last assignment. His boss Mr. Hoogeboom (Giancarlo Esposito) has had enough, with Sherrie from HR (Quinta Brunson) urging for another chance for the Cat. And one more shot he gets, and his task is cheering-up siblings Gabby (Xocithl Sanchez) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez). The brother and sister recently moved with their mother Carmen (America Ferrera) and are struggling at adjusting to their new surroundings. The Cat knows of a way to go back in time before the dreaded move,  contraption called the Go-Backer. The only problem is, they have to find the device and also avoid monstrous The Something, who is set on ensuring they never get to it, meaning the Cat once again could fail and lose both his hat and job for good.

There are many – things – pardon the pun, to love about The Cat in The Hat. It is fantastical, colourful, magical – visually a spectacular-looking film. While it ambitiously tries to cater to the parents who would be taking their kids to see this for nostalgia, simply stated, some of the corporate workplace concepts might be a bit complex for the young kids. And for a few moments there, things get a little too scary for young kids, which is a bit of a big swing, creatively. We do admire the Film’s humbling message that sometimes the answers are right before us and meant to be for a reason, and that it is important to follow the beat of your own drum. But admittedly, it does take a very roundabout way of getting there.

That being said, some of the performances here are simply wonderful including Hader, who embodies the Cat‘s infectious optimism and zest for fun, and Matt Berry as Waffles, the siblings’ animated goldfish are the standouts, keeping the audience engaged along the way. We genuinely wouldn’t be shocked if there were more films to come ahead as this is a foundation to build upon.

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release THE CAT IN THE HAT, now in theatres.

Some highlights from a special Toronto Fan Screening of THE CAT IN THE HAT: