DVD Release Date:  December 9, 2008
Theatrical Release Date:  March 14, 2008
Rating:  G
Genre:  Kids/Family, Animation and Adaptation
Run Time:  85 min.
Directors:  Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino
Voices of:  Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Dan Fogler, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, Jaime Pressly, Charles Osgood

Have you ever been in a theatre where you heard just as many adult chuckles as children’s giggles?  Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! is one of those movies that evokes such a spirit of across-the-board amusement. 

The adults will enjoy the voices of actor favorites such as Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett, while kids will enjoy the sweet story of an unlikely hero’s quest to save the world. Well, one world, at least … one teeny, tiny world.

It turns out that the whole world of Whoville has a mayor (Carell), who is completely oblivious to the fact that they live on one speck of dust on one little drifting wildflower.  They might have gone on that way indefinitely if it hadn’t been for Horton (Carrey), who happens to find it and hear some teeny little sounds coming from the teeny world.  (After all, elephants have giant ears for a reason, right?)  Horton is ecstatic and gathers all the little jungle creatures around to hear the story.

Horton finds a way to converse with the mayor and soon proves to him that he and his whole town actually do exist within one little speck.  But not to worry because Horton will take the wildflower up to a cave in the highest spot on the highest mountain in the jungle, where the little world will be safe forever. The mayor isn’t so sure, so he runs to the city council elders and tries to inform them of their precarious predicament, but the elders won’t listen.  After all, nothing bad has ever happened in Whoville, and besides, it’s time to make big plans for the town’s anniversary party.

Meanwhile, Horton’s protection of the flower is slipping.  Mrs. Kangaroo (Burnett), a scary, controlling, fearful, suspicious mother who “pouch schools” her boy has gotten wind of Horton’s wild tale about a world on a speck, and she’s determined to squelch the nonsense.  After all, it’s dangerous to get kids imagining things because “imagination leads to rebellion against authority, and rebellion leads to anarchy!”

Mrs. Kangaroo makes it her quest to destroy the wildflower, and she even riles up the monkeys and a horrible vulture (Will Arnett) to fight on her team.  Horton’s mouse friend warns him that he has many enemies on his trail and must hurry to the high mountain.  Horton tells the mayor the dire news. The mayor goes home to his wife and 96 children, spends a little time with each, and tries to come up with a plan.  The only way that the micro-world will be saved is for the teeny little Who’s to find a way to work together with the largest creature of the “real world’s” jungle.  As the clock ticks, Mrs. Kangaroo’s rage rises and her evil plans escalate.