New 'Cat in the Hat' Animated Film Criticized as Overstuffed — SkimNews
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- The new animated 'The Cat in the Hat' features Bill Hader voicing a 'capital-F Friendly' version of the character, a departure from the more spiky personality the reviewer imagined from the books.
- The film's plot centers on a teenage girl who moves to a new city, a setup the review compares directly to Pixar's 'Inside Out,' and involves magical portals contained in cardboard boxes.
- The movie's style is described as 'junior Marvel surrealism' and a 'de facto video-game movie,' packed with gadgets, a giant monster, and sequences like an underwater journey with swimming underwear.
- Thing One and Thing Three appear as non-verbal assistants, with the film hinting at a larger clan of 'Things,' which the review suggests is a transparent franchise and merchandise play akin to the Minions.
- The 2003 live-action adaptation starring Mike Myers is referenced as a previous misstep, with Myers' Cat described as having a 'New Yawk snarl' and a costume like 'a marshmallow with teeth.'
Why it matters: For families and studios, this high-energy, franchise-ready approach risks diluting the simple, anarchic charm of Dr. Seuss's original story. It signals a continued industry trend where classic children's properties are expanded into complex cinematic universes, prioritizing merchandising potential over narrative purity.
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