“The Cat in the Hat” is one of the most well-known children’s books. Given that, one would imagine the live-action movie would follow it pretty uniformly, perhaps resulting in an entertaining movie for young children, but not for adults. That is, until you look at the cast and see that Mike Meyers is the cat in the hat.
This movie seems to go the classic route of making a movie that’s entertaining for children (in that it has a plot that they can enjoy and maybe even learn some valuable life lessons along the way), while also including adult jokes that go over the kids’ heads. This can be seen in other kids’ movies such as “Shrek” or “Tropic Thunder.” Typically, what entertains the adults are the jokes as opposed to the story itself. This is the case with “The Cat in the Hat” as well. The story is pretty basic; we’re following two kids who, with the help of a talking cat, learn how to be more responsible or less responsible (depending on the kid).
Something that stands out in this movie is its ability to appeal not just to young children and adults, but to all ages in between as well. I recall watching this movie as a young kid, a tween, a teen, and now an adult, and every time I watch it, I’m entertained. This means that no matter what ages are present in your family, all will enjoy this film.
Before this moment, I have honestly never considered the fact that this is technically an adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book. It bears the same title as the beloved kid’s book, but if you are expecting anything along the lines of the book, you will be disappointed. I’m not totally sure what an accurate adaptation of the book would look like, but I don’t care too much because this movie is better than I could ever imagine.
Only while doing research for this article did I learn that people hate this movie. I honestly can’t fathom why; it’s a very entertaining movie. I’m confused by anyone going into it expecting some sort of plot that makes sense, considering it’s a movie starring Mike Meyers dressed up as a giant cat man.
I’m starting to think it’s just me and my family, but my siblings and I quote this movie constantly. There are so many memorable lines in this movie, mostly because it’s just bizarre moment after bizarre moment.
The set design was great too; it felt like its own world, as the books do. The colors and aesthetics throughout the film stand out and make the movie even more enjoyable. There’s always so much going on and the movie feels magical in a fever dream sort of way. It has a distinct style that seemingly made some people feel creeped out and uncomfortable, but I put them in the same box of people who don’t enjoy masterpieces like “Edward Scissorhands” or “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” I prefer to call this movie “whimsical,” as opposed to “unsettling” or “creepy.”
There are a few jokes that are probably over-the-top enough that I could see parents getting upset at the film, expecting it to be free from any inappropriate jokes (okay, the “dirty hoe” line may have been too far). While I understand the concern, all of those jokes went right over my head until I was like 12 (okay, more like 15). Along with that, it was sort of the trend for kids’ movies in the early 2000s, as I mentioned above. It’s nice to make kids’ movies entertaining for adults too.
Writing this article forced me to confront my own biases, as well as what impacts my thoughts and experiences of films. It also forced me to confront the fact that so many people have no idea what they’re talking about when it comes to movies, because this one is a masterpiece and deserves more appreciation. While it would be irresponsible for me to suggest that parents watch this as a family movie with their young children, I would at least suggest that adults who haven’t seen it ignore the hate and give it a try, with an open heart and an open mind. And for the adults who have seen it (probably when they were a child): watch it again. It gets better with age and maturity. I truly wish and hope that everyone can experience this film the way me and my siblings do.