Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Horton Hears a Who!

also known as “Horton,” “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who,” “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!,” “Ortone e il mondo dei Chi”

Reviewed by: Patty Moliterno
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Good
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Kids Teens Adults Family
Genre: Animation Kids Adventure Family Adaptation
Length: 1 hr. 28 min.
Year of Release: 2008
USA Release: March 14, 2008 (wide)
DVD: December 9, 2008
Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
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Adventures in the rainforest! Learn about the Creator of the universe by exploring His marvelous creation. Fun for the whole family with games, activities, stories, answers to children’s questions, color pages, and more! One of the Web’s first and most popular Christian Web sites for children. Nonprofit, evangelical, nondenominational.
Featuring Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Dane Cook, Isla Fisher, Jaime Pressly, Will Arnett, Selena Gomez, Amy Poehler, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Dan Fogler, Josh Flitter, Carol Burnett, Laura Ortiz, Shelby Adamowsky, Joey King, Samantha Droke
Director Jimmy Hayward
Steve Martino
Producer Audrey Geisel, Bob Gordon, Christopher Meledandri, Chris Wedge
Distributor
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Trademark logo.
20th Century Studios
, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company

“One Elephant. One World. One Story.”

Most everyone who sees this movie knows the stories of Horton the Elephant. Horton Hears a Who does follow the traditional story line with a modern twist. Horton (voice of Jim Carrey) lives in the land of Nool. During a peaceful afternoon, a speck of dust floats by and Horton hears a scream. Horton decides he is going to protect this speck of dust because there has to be some life on that dust that made that scream. During this entire movie, Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) goal is to stop Horton from his foolish behavior. She thinks that he is warping the children’s minds with his foolish beliefs and anarchy will result.

Horton and the Mayor of Who-ville (Steve Carell) talk, but nobody else can hear them. Both of them are thought to be crazy. Horton seems to be the only one who can hear the Mayor down in Who-ville, and when the Mayor finally gets someone to listen, Horton is not holding the clover and nobody can hear him. Horton’s goal is to find a safe place for his speck (and the people of Who-ville) to live because as Horton says “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

There is little in this movie that one can say is objectionable. Probably the worst scenes are ones that have a vulture named Vlad. The scenes are dark and scary to some children. My 3 year old used my coat to hide under during these scenes.

Most of the violence is comedic. A monkey uses bananas as ammo to shot at Horton. The Mayor is kicked, hit with a stapler on his head, hits people with his numb arm, and gets hit by a beach ball by an angry mob. The scenes of violence against Horton may be a little scary for some kids—he gets attacked by a vulture, an angry mob chases him, and he is roped and the clover taken from him.

There is no real obscene language in this movie; however, there are still words that they could have avoided. Boob and idiot are used numerous times, as well as fatboy and moron. There are a few other items that may offend: A painting in the Mayor Hall of Fame shows the first Mayor of Who-ville as a caveman; Horton has a young friend who has a speck of her own and says on her speck everyone worships her.

The Mayor has 97 children, 96 daughters and one son. The Mayor’s son, Jo-Jo is odd. He dresses in all black, wears his hair different, and doesn’t talk. He is silent because he is afraid of not living up to his father’s expectations. In the end we find that he expresses himself differently, but that he is a valuable member of Who-ville.

As I watched this entire movie, I kept thinking this movie was made by pro-lifers. I am sure that there were others who thought about other less fortunate groups of people. However, this movie is an excellent way to talk to your kids about the unborn. Kangaroo says to her son Rudy and to Horton—“If you can’t see it, hear it, or feel it, it doesn’t exist”. That is the argument made by pro-choice people all the time and as Horton points out repeatedly, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Horton defends those too small to defend themselves. That is an important message for children to learn. Whether it is the unborn, small animals, or just people who are not in the position to defend themselves, our world would be a little nicer place if we could teach our children this important principle.

The concept of believing in something you cannot see is also a theme in this movie. The Mayor knows that something bigger is holding the clover. He places his faith in Horton to get them to safety. Children do not always understand God because they cannot see him. They don’t grasp that something bigger than us is out there. This movie can help explain that concept.

There is also a scene in the movie that can be interpreted several ways. Towards the end of the movie, Kangaroo’s son leaves the pouch against his mother’s authority to save the people of Who-ville. Although, I want don’t want my children to rebel against me or authority, I want them to understand that sometimes to do the right thing, you have to go against what everyone, including those in authority have said. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-36:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the Earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.” Sometimes to follow God means turning against our families and authority.

There is also a wonderful scene of forgiveness. Kangaroo led a crusade against Horton the entire movie and in the end, he goes to her and offers her a cookie. In the Bible, Jesus is our example of true forgiveness. In Luke 23:34, He says “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Horton understands true forgiveness is forgiving those who have done the greatest harm to you.

Overall, I recommend this movie. It is cute and entertaining. It held my littlest one’s attention the entire movie and it was something I could take my whole family to see. While the original Dr. Seuss cartoons from years ago are great movies, and this cannot take the place of the original drawings direct from the book; I know that my 5 and 3 year old will want to own this when it comes out.

Violence: Minor / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—I took my son to see this movie and we both enjoyed it. The words from the kangaroo, “if you can't see it, hear it or feel it it doesn't exist,” kept replaying in my thoughts; how sad that the world feels this way about God. I just kept thinking how the Mayor in Whoville had faith in Horton, just as we have faith in God for all our needs. Whether you're a Christian or not, this movie had a point, “People are people no matter how small,” this would include fetuses and people we don't always acknowledge, such as homeless, drug addicts, runaways, prostitutes, celebrities gone bad, people who are sold and enslaved in human trafficking… People we should always help and pray for!!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Miyuki, age 39
Positive—Of all the Dr. Seuss adaptations, Horton Hears a Who is by far my favorite. It had my kids and me laughing! The theme seemed to be that a person is a person, no matter how small. (Now, if only left liberal Hollywood really felt that way! A baby is made at conception, not 9 to 12 weeks later!) Horton was a loyal friend, and gave his all to the goal he set—protecting the people living on the speck.

There was a bit of potty mouth, but I don't recall it being too much for me. However, I did not care for the several uses of the word “boob”—it was used referring to how a character was behaving (behaving like a boob). My kids I know, had never heard that word used in that way, so we had to have a discussion making it clear they could not use that word. Unfortunately, daily—at school, my kids hear many words they know they aren't allowed to use (butt, omg, freakin', etc. …)—so use of that word would not prohibit me from letting them see it. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and would suggest it for the whole family.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Angi, age 36
Positive—I took my 11 year old daughter to see this movie with a group of girls at a birthday party. I did wonder how a book that can be read in 10 minutes could be made into a feature length film, but it has been done and done quite well. The quality of the computer generated graphics was amazing! They really managed to keep the Dr. Seuss look of each character. The story line of the book wasn't really altered. Of course the it was added to in order to make a movie.

I didn't really find anything offensive. The only thing that bothered me (and this isn't in the book) was that the kangaroo makes a comment about “pouch” schooling her child because Horton is crazy, and he is apparently the teacher of the jungle children. She does it in a “holier-than-thou” way and she ends up being the crazy one for hounding Horton and getting the whole jungle to cage him.

Otherwise it is probably a good movie for little kids. My daughter liked it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Robin, age 38
Positive—What a delightful movie! I even laughed out loud several times. It was witty, with some modern improvisation, in addition to Dr. Seuss’ marvelous text. The children in the audience with me seemed to really enjoy it. The story depicted the good values and principles of loyalty and kindness and sincerity and faithfulness and respect for even the least of men. I hope the message made an impact on some young person's life. The animation was quite brilliant, as well as the voiceovers. Highly recommended for all.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Positive—My 13 year old daughter and I just viewed this movie and we both really enjoyed it. We had been looking forward to it's release for over a year now. We had read about it and how it can relate to the pro-life message on the Elijah list and then we heard Lou Engle (from the Call) share about this on a CD and DVD. At that time, I read the book to a group of children I work with and we began praying the prayer, “Lord, I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation, God end abortion and send revival to America.” I could see the pro-life theme all through this movie and it encouraged me that we need to continue to let our voices be heard to end abortion.

The movie was pretty clean, had humor and moved pretty quickly. The only thing I thought of, is if you have very small children, or children who get frightened easily, the scene with the vulture and also the Kangaroo trying to put the clover in a boiling pot could be scary for them. Other than that, there were no scary characters or scenes. I was pleased also, because our theatre only showed G and PG previews, sometimes the previews they show can be a problem …maybe Hollywood is learning something! :-)
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Deanne Rogan, age 48
Positive—What a surprise! We all know the story of Horton the Elephant, but this movie carries an even stronger pro-life message than the book. After the final scene (which I will not spoil), you and your children will have an opportunity to talk about the existence of our unseen, but merciful, God. Self-sacrifice and keeping a promise are, also, prevalent themes in this excellent family movie.

The movie quality is very good, as it is directed by someone formerly trained at Pixar; I'd call it Pixar-esque. I especially liked the “Who” world, which feels like an amazing 3-D version of Dr. Seuss’ books.

For Christians, this is a clean humor movie to enjoy (and we should support such movies!). Highly recommended.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Narcis, age 36
Positive—I have to say, I laughed the whole way through this movie (along with all the 10-year-olds). There was nothing truly objectionable—the “boob” word certainly could have been left out, and the vulture was moderately scary, but otherwise nothing really struck me. Horton's courage and kindliness would make a good object lesson for any child, and the mayor's interaction with his family was truly wonderful to watch. I especially liked the support that his wife offered him. I don't care that I'm not in 4th grade, I'm buying this when it comes out on DVD. This is such a step above of those other “kid” movies (like “Shrek”). Very enjoyable to watch.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Danielle, age 21
Positive—My husband and I, another couple and our 2mth old son went to see this movie and I thought it was soo cute! I didn't find anything objectionable in it, and as an adult I laughed quite a few times! I thought it had a good moral to it and was a nice family movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Krys, age 27
Positive—I just took my kids to see this movie and have to say I thought you could apply biblical principles to it to teach your child about faith and God. I love movies and never really analyze them, I just go for the entertainment value and leave it at that. As I sat watching Horton, the mama kangaroo in the movie tells all the other forest animals, 'If you can't see it, hear it, or feel it, then it doesn't exist'. I sat thinking I would have to explain this to my son that just because we cannot see, hear or technically feel God, that it does not mean he does not exist.

As the movie went on, the animals of the forest were pressuring Horton to say that Whoville did not exist and if he admitted this, then they would let him go (they had him tied up trying to take the clover away from him), translation… deny God exist and conform to the way of the world and life is much easier on and for you (no persecution, conviction). Then the child of the mama kangaroo takes the clover from her and stops her from boiling the clover/speck (Whoville) and all the others stop and listen and realize that Whoville is real and they follow the child, translation… And a child will lead them.

Lastly, the mama kangaroo is walking off by herself feeling defeated and Horton forgives her, translation… forgiveness and that we all make mistakes and sin and God our father daily forgives us. Like I say, NEVER do I analyze movies, but all this just came to me as I was watching and I thought what a great teaching tool for the kids. Anyway, my kids loved it and I thought it was a cute movie, so I say take your kids to see it!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Natalie Lay, age 37
Positive—This movie was WONDERFUL!! I am a HUGE Dr. Seuss fan and last summer when I saw the previews for this, I told my boyfriend “You have to take me to see that!”, well he did and I LOVED it! He also laughed out loud several times… The Mayor has some hilarious scenes and even had me to tears laughing! The story is so sweet and just like the book!! I loved it!! I am a major cry baby when it comes to movies, and I'll admit, I cried a few times during this movie… especially at the very end… and the message is ever so important “A person’s a person; no matter how small!” There is NOTHING objectionable in this movie, at all. No bad words, not even any potty humor. Just plain, clean, funny, cute movie… I loved it and can't wait to own this on DVD!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Casey, age 20
Positive—Great movie! Could be scary for the smaller kids in some places. They over did the needle thing at the dentist. That could really scare some of the children. Other than that, very well done and fun to watch.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Jacques Lemieux, age 55
Positive—I took my three kids ages 8, 6, and 4 years. They enjoyed it very much. I also enjoyed it and laughed out loud at the end scene where the animals sin “I can't fight this feeling any more!” Very cute and funny. Only one “shut-up” and nothing else offensive. I would recommend this film to all. We have the book and I thought that the story stayed true to the book with some added explanations.

All my children stayed interested and laughed the whole time. It's nice to see something that is truly a kids film that I don't have to worry about. Truly a film that has some moral quality and good values (forgiveness, standing up for your values, and dedication/ caring for other well being) Go see it!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Amanda, age 34
Positive—I was very surprised because a lot of Children's movies have adult content and concepts that I don't think children are able to understand. I didn't notice any of that with this movie. I thought it was a decent film that children could thoroughly enjoy and route for the good guys.

I may be reading too much into this but I think the foundation is very pro-life and pro-God. Even before Horton really knew what was going on he knew that the spec was something special which to me can be compared to an unborn child in the extremely early phases of life.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Trina, age 29
Positive—This is an awesome film. I vaguely saw anything morally objectionable. Jim Carrey and Steve Carell (Michael Scott from “The Office”) are equally talented in Horton the elephant and the Mayor of Whoville. I give it two thumbs way up! I was not bored with this movie. It wasn't the best I've seen so far this year but it wasn't the worst.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Shannon H., age 26
Positive—Not since I've seen Curious George have I seen a movie that was this uplifting. I took my family and three of my son's friends to see it. It was very funny and at the same time had a great message for all. I highly recommend it!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Dave K., age 50
Positive—This movie was hilarious! The quality of the film was good. Overall I liked it a lot, which is rare for me these days. I appreciate the previous comment by viewers, warning about the comments about homeschooling. As a homeschool mom myself, I was glad to have the chance to discuss this with my son ahead of time. However, I wasn't overly worried. I considered how just in the past week, we helped my son as he decided to take up a new sport, and spent the evening finding rocks with flashlights in the dark and drawing them with my son as we pretended to be scientists. I think most homeschoolers know that the character portrayed in the movie is not what it's like for them in real life. In addition, they have surely faced these ideas before. I think it should not keep anyone from enjoying what is otherwise a good movie. The only other thing that concerned me was the use of the word “boob.” This word has a new meaning in this day and age, and kids tend to repeat these things, especially when they don't know what they mean.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Sarah, age 28 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—My twin 7 year olds loved the movie. My 12 year old thought it was just okay. The movie was cute and held everyone's interest. I did have a problem with the kangaroo however. Kangaroo is a control freak. She wanted to run the jungle and have everyone do what she wanted. She “pouch schooled” her son and was always pushing him back into her pouch. At the end of the movie the kangaroo was trying to get everyone to rope Horton and throw him in “jail.” She was saying that he was a danger to the kids, he was teaching them to use their imagination and that would cause them to disrespect authority etc. I wouldn't have had a problem with her if they hadn't chosen to make her a “pouch schooler.” She is so opposite of what most homeschoolers stand for. I am disappointed that they chose to portray homeschoolers in such a negative light. My 12 year old even caught it without me saying anything about it. I was so looking forward to the movie with my girls and was very disappointed.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Cynthia, age 36
Neutral—In watching “Horton Hears a Who,” I was made aware of yes, the Pro-Life quality, but deeper than that—the ability to stand when all else or all others deny your faith. I found a prophetic notion in the movie. Its what it will be like in the end days; what it is like even now in some areas of the globe-believers backed into corners, Believers chastised, Believers being subtly or conspicuously challenged abou—t what they believe. But its also about the christian loving the enemy, even when they hate you. Just like Jesus still loved those who were sneering at him. Just like Horton is still friends with the abominable Kangaroo.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Ashlea, age 18
Neutral—The Who's are back. So is Whoville… this time on a microcosmic scale. Jim Carrey lends his voice as the big, clumsy elephant Horton; Steve Carell is the Who mayor of Whoville. Carol Burnett plays the antagonist, an over-zealous kangaroo acting as “Big Brother” in this children's tale. Horton finds a little poof he calls a “speck” and hears voices coming from inside, or does he? Persistent, he sets out to prove there is indeed a world within. After trying numerous times to breech the communication barrier, a steady connection is eventually established.

The big guy is naturally protective of his newfound friends, and he tries in vain to convince others of the city smaller than a grain of salt. However, the kangaroo lady is a raging skeptic. She attempts to bring Horton down and destroy the speck because if you can't 'see it, feel it, or hear it, it doesn't exist. Despite the growing concerns of the jungle, Horton vows to climb to the apex of the jungle; there, a lone flower grows in a small hollow of the rock—the perfect place for the speck to reside.

A solid friendship is formed between the Mayor and Horton. Though they can't see each other, Horton can be heard via a horn on the Mayor's balcony and vice versa. Together, they experience cold, politics, peril, and good times whilst Horton makes his way to the top. As fate would have it, the entire jungle forms an angry mob, vehemently prodded by the kangaroo. They catch up with Horton, tie him down, and threaten to burn the speck lest Horton repents of the microscopic universe he believes so wholeheartedly in.

This is where the story delves into the dark side. Horton's plight strikes as being very similar to that of Winston Smith's from George Orwell's “1984.” Horton was a regular guy, a teacher even, but when he chose to rise up out of the ashes of conformity and “break the rules,” he was hunted down like a dog. Winston's love affair was what Big Brother used against him, to force him into submission; Horton's friendship with the Who's is what he was asked to renounce. In both cases, the hero's very life was threatened, and his best friend was the price to be paid. “Big Brother” tried to break them. Tried to castrate them of their beliefs, their very existence. All they held dear. But this is a kid's story, which equates to a happy ending. Unlike Winston, in the end, Whoville breaks through to the other side, and Horton comes out on top.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 3
Jacob Keenum, age 21
Neutral—I just finished watching this movie after having it recommended by a trusted friend. My husband, myself and our 4 year old daughter all enjoyed it and laughed all the way through it. The only reason I gave it a neutral rating is because there is some name calling and, particularly offensive to myself and my family, there is a rude jab made towards homeschoolers. I chose to let it slide off my back and enjoy the rest of the movie, as the movie really does have a great message about faith, protecting those who can't protect themselves, obviously the pro-life point, and other good lessons if you choose to look deep. We are homeschooling our daughter, which is why that joke was pointedly painful, but I don't feel that it ruins the entire movie.

Enjoy it, but be prepared to talk about a couple of small points with your children. There is more to bless than to hurt in this movie. God bless you!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Amy, age 24 (USA)
Negative
Negative—Ok, this was the worst hour and a half of my life. I thought this was going to be a really funny movie. Although I had my doubts, I thought what the heck. If you are over 11 years old, you will probably be bored to tears. I went with two other people, so I did not take a separate car, otherwise I would have walked right out of the movie theater. But, I would have to say that it was a very clean movie for children. And they would probably like it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 1
Lisa, age 23
Neutral—Overall, I thought the movie was cute. I gave it a “neutral” rating, however, because the “villain” in the story made a comment about her joey being “pouch schooled.” Of course, she came across overbearing and sometimes down right rude. I'm not sure about the statement that they were making with this, but it left me unsettled. I left hoping (and praying) that it didn't leave my homeschooled daughter feeling like a “freak.”
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Dawn, age 36
Negative—I read a few comments here after the first weekend it was in theatres, and I was glad to see many positives, and we decided to budget this for a Sunday afternoon. The last movie we attended (with our children who are now 4 and 7) was Curious George, so needless to say we are careful what is put before our children's eyes. We were impressed that Hollywood would even consider making a high-quality and outwardly pro-life movie. The first 10 minutes were a wonderful introduction into the vivid world of Dr. Seuss on the big screen, and the set-up for the story was well done.

15 minutes into the movie and Hollywood hurls a huge boulder at homeschoolers with the villain Kangaroo making a statement that her child is “pouch-schooled,” and she snubs everyone and hurls insults at Horton. And throughout this movie she is the best example of a demented character that I have seen in a long time. And to add to that fact, she can't decide whether to sacrifice her child to the Vulture or not.

I also found it ironic that this movie comes on the heels of California making the decision to ban homeschooling unless you have a teacher's credentials.

What a complete insult to everything Dr. Seuss was about… what he believed in.

So here is what we are left with… Hollywood makes a “Pro-life” movie, waters down the pro-life message, fills it with time consuming issues that will stretch out the video time to be movie-worthy, then call it a Dr. Seuss movie without the essence of Dr. Seuss’ message. Not only that, they insult homeschoolers, who by far have the highest rate of passing and scoring highest on the SAT. They also insult us with not having an imagination (my daughter is aspiring to write a book… she is 7, and son who is 4 will be at 1st grade level by the summer), and further insult us by depicting this homeschooling kangaroo as ignorant, self deluded, and would go to any extremes to make everyone believe that she is right, even if it means sacrificing the lives of innocent people (who's in Whoville).

And what an excellent platform to stand on… put out a movie with an originally conservative message, then water it down and bash the very people (many of the same people paying for the movie tickets) to see it, and make millions all at the same time. Great tactic… really!

You (Hollywood and whoever else was involved in this one) could have done so much with this …could have delivered not just a kids movie, but delivered a masterpiece with the originality and essence of Dr. Seuss, but instead you succumb to the typical agenda that movies must be made a particular way with great effects to garner as much profits as as possible and not offend anyone (except homeschoolers and conservatives). If Hollywood had used any other story I probably would not be as steamed as I am about this one. I am very surprised this seemed to just pass by many of the folks who already left comments.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
D. Caine Calhoun, age 34
Negative—My spouse and I took our kids out for a nice day out to see what we thought would be a cute remake of an beloved old classic. As usual Hollywood's warped thinking shines like a beacon in this flat film. I am a Christian and not ashamed, and I am sick of the propaganda that we are all uptight, cruel, unforgiving, judgmental folk because we subscribed to a higher power and way of thinking. I am sick of them using their platform opportunity to poison our minds and our childrens. This whole film was so inverted idealistically, it was laughable. The very message they used thru the villain (a homeschool parent of all things) was what the liberal Hollywood agenda is all about.

The message of the Who people and Horton (who they tried to portray as liberal) is the point of the Christian movement that a person is a person no matter how small (speaking of the abortion movement). This movie was a major, and very insulting, slap to all Christians and dedicated homeschool parents being villainized in a cartoon which Hollywood seems to think by serving it up on this platter, down plays their insults. This and “Happy Feet” are absolute shining examples of liberal Hollywood using us to propagate our babies. I do not recommend this movie at all, as a Christian; for one, it insults the very sensibilities of a common sense Christian, and, two, because as innocent as it seems, everything our children see and hear is relevant, whether we chose to believe that or not.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Carolina, age 43
Negative—As a woman who was homeschooled as a girl and a mother who plans to homeschool, I found this movie extremely offensive. The movie makers appeared to make an attack on homeschoolers by having the mean and angry kangaroo mom say her child was “pouch schooled.” The kangaroo mom who was abusive, critical, without an open mind and attempted to damper on her son's fascination and curiosity about the world. When her son was interested in the clover, she forcefully pushed his head in and prevented him from learning about the people and world around him. I think this movie is a sad portrayal of what true homeschoolers are like, and I was thoroughly disappointed. I was also upset that I supported the movie's makers with my dollars. In fact, the reverse is true, homeschoolers learn more about the world around them, and are nurtured and encouraged to explore their ideas and faith. Although I love the storyline and plot, I will not buy this new movie for my child. I will buy the older cartoon version because it does not improperly portray homeschoolers.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1
Sarah, age 27
Negative—…the villain in the movie was a homeschool mother. As a homeschool mother, I felt very disappointed and outraged that homeschooling was portayed this way. My two oldest children even picked up on it. We will not be seeing this one again, and we will be more careful to read all reviews and do a little more research before watching movies—even if they are billed as appropriate for the entire family.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Brandi, age 35 (USA)
Negative—I'm giving this a negative rating because the “evil villain” is a close-minded homeschooler, which ruined the whole thing for me. Also, the picture of the caveman ancestor suggests that evolution is true and the film also portrays large families as a negative… suggesting you can't properly care for that many children. Had those 3 messages bee left out, it would have been fine.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
GRT, age 43 (USA)
Negative—I think the movie making quality of this film was very good, however I found the main story-line was very offensive. The whole idea of an elephant holding up the world of the Who's was totally rooted in Hinduism, and the messages or attacks against homeschooling and abortion was just a smoke screen to throw the viewers off. I am a pro-lifer and a strong supporter of Homeschooling, but because the movie was so confusing, I found no redeeming qualities worth viewing in this movie!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Shay, age 36 (USA)
Comments from young people
Positive—My friend and I had been planning to go to this movie ever since we had seen the trailer. We both absolutely LOVE the Dr. Seuss books and loved the idea that this book was finally coming out on film. Overall, it was a great film!! It contained a great message, and surprisingly most of the people in the theatre were over ten. Not only is this a great movie to go to with your younger children, but it is entertaining for teens, parents, and even grandparents. I would highly encourage that you go see this movie and hear the great message it offers.

BUT this movie has one thing that I object to and that is body-wiggling. There is one scene where Horton is dancing to the music, and all you really see is his behind wiggling. My parents raised me to know that this is wrong and disgusting, so to the parents out there who share the same view, I just wanted to warn.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Bonnie, age 15
Positive—I thought it would be boring or lame but no matter the age you will love the animation and good humor. I saw it with adults, teens, and little kids. Everyone loved it. Usually I like gore and action, but this really was good. Believe it or Not.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jordan, age 15
Positive—The movie was great! It was clean, funny, and enjoyable for all ages. There were kids aged 7 to 15 in our group and everyone enjoyed it enough to want to see it again.

The movie had great morals. It talked about believing in things even though you couldn't see, hear, feel, or smell them. It also said that a person is a person no matter how small. Despite what everyone else was telling him, Horton was determined to do what was right and keep his promise, insisting “I meant what I said and I said what I meant.” We had some good conversations about it afterwards.

The animation was incredible; it's amazing to see how far it's come in just a few years! All the little details added in were a lot of fun—references to other Dr. Seuss stories like a character carrying a plate of green eggs and ham—I loved it!

There was just one thing in the movie that offended me, although it didn't ruin the movie. The kangaroo mother, who is portrayed as too strict and keeping her son from the fun the other kids are having, sees the children playing with their teacher, Horton, and says “That's why I pouch-school my son!” I felt like it made home-schooling sound bad.

However, despite that comment, I really enjoyed the movie! It was nice to see a movie that was clean enough that I could recommend it to anyone. This is definitely a family movie!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Heleena, age 15
Positive—It's good, but long. I really liked it. There's nothing bad in the movie, though it is very wacky (like most Dr. Seuss books and movies). I think it showed good values, because it shows that a person is a person no matter how big you are, and that you have to keep on trying, even though there are obstacles ahead of you.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Langston Cabral, age 10
Positive—This film is great for all ages. I went with my Sunday School Class, and we all loved it. It has a great story line and is very clean. At the end, characters “forgive and forget” each other's differences and even though the kangaroo is kind of mean to Horton, he stills forgives and becomes friend with her in the end. It is a great, funny movie!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Cassidy, age 11
Positive—I seriously don't understand why many people find this movie so… well, offensive. I understand that to SOME people, I'm still considered a “kid,” so my opinion will seem “immature,” but I know what I like, and I think that this movie is fine. There are some mature jokes that probably won't seem that attractive to parents bringing their kids, but to me, they're going to be bombarded with this type of humor anyway, so they might as well understand just how far they should be allowed to go. If the parents don't want their kids watching this stuff with their money, then that's their problem. Otherwise, let the children enjoy the flick.

My review of this movie: I LOVED IT! Very funny and hyper, although targeted for a younger audience, I couldn't help but enjoy it. Unfortunately, I was waiting for a friend to show up, so missed the first 5-10 minutes or so of the movie. It's not so bad, though, because after watching what I didn't miss, I am most definitely buying the DVD!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Ari, age 15
Positive—I went to “Horton Hears a Who” opening night after hearing early reviews about it, and I found it an enjoyable, funny movie. There was nothing objectionable, it was all just clean humor. And on top of that, there was an anti-abortion message that really sticks out. I'm also glad that Jim Carrey is actually in something clean. I will definitely want to own this when it comes out.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Wyatt Hervey, age 14
Positive—It is very cool! and funny!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Paige, age 9
Positive—I LOVE this movie! There is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie, (except maybe the little comment about “pouch schooling,” but that didn't really bother me that much), and I would recommend it to ANYONE. It is SO hilarious; I was cracking up practically the whole time!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Katie, age 16 (USA)
Positive—I found this movie hilarious!!! But as a homeschooled girl, I did not appreciate the little “pouch schooled” comment. Homeschoolers are not like that. The homeschoolers I know, the majority of them, are not control freaks, do not shelter their kids, and they're not anti-social like the society has blinded everyone to believe! I get very irritated when public school kids label me with that.

But the thing I don't understand is why you people are critizing the entire movie because of the fact the kangeroo is a control freak. That she wants to get rid of Horton. Let's think this through…s-h-e i-s -a- v-i-l-l-i-a-n. The badguy. There wouldn't be a plot without her! It would be a lousey movie. Why hide the fact from little kids that people are not always nice? That sometimes people are mean. I'm not saying stick your kids in front of The Dark Knight and really show them what a badguy is, but Horton Hears a Who has a very good lesson behind it. And why hide that from kids?

I really love the fact that we can imagine the whos are us, Horton is God, and the speck is Earth. We're in God's hands. We have to trust that, although we can't see Him, He is there. We have to stand firm in our faith and not back down.

I actually didn't realize, until reading the reviews of how pro-life it was! I'm so excited now. You're right! “A person is a person, no matter how small.” So true!! Also, I like how the mayor has so many children (hilarious) and doesn't have your average two children. Not that anything is wrong with having two children, but society tends to throw at us that two children is the perfect amount—one boy and one girl. But I love big familys! What in the world is wrong with that?!

So all in all, I really recommend this movie for people of all ages. I was laughing so hard during the part where he throws the eraser at the guys head and it hits him instead, when Horton does his little happy dance, when the mayor gets his “dental” treatment, when there is that little cartoon clip of Horton being the hero and the tree taking him out, the part with the monkey “alarm,” and “the mayor was merely being a moron.” Great movie!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 3
Max, age 15 (USA)
Positive—This movie was AMAZING!! I think it is completely ridiculus for someone to say this movie is offensive! The moral of this movie is 'a persons a person, no matter how small', which I think is wonderful. Everyone I know who has seen this movie thought it was amazing, and I won't be suprised if you find it amazing to. I think there is nothing you should find inapropiate in anyway. My favourite part was when everything becomes anime! Any way, I highly recomend this movie to everyone!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Liliana, age 11 (Canada)
Positive—Very Funny, But I Rate it A PG-6. Some of the scenes might be to violent for really young kids maybe under 6. For example, when they rope Horton and cage him and poke him with sticks. Some of the scenes are Funny like when Horton says, “I know 2 Vlads. Is it the bad Vlad, Or Vlad the bunny who Bakes the cookies.”
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Josh, age 8 (USA)
Positive—This movie was great, while Jim Carey has not always been in a lot of good movies, he scored an ace with me for this movie! I'm sure that anyone who is a fan of Dr. Seuss's books will see the similarities of the animated Horton and the book drawing of Horton. It's like a carbon copy!!

***SPOILER ALERT*** At the end, there is a funny song where the Hoo's and animals sing funnily!!

SEE THIS MOVIE!!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Hannah Peters, age 12 (USA)