With the release of The Grinch in 2000 and the Harry Potter films of 2001 and 2002, the bar has been raised for on-screen adaptations of popular children's novels. There are two ways to look at this movie. "How does it compare with other movies in the same genre?" or "How does the movie stack up against its current box-office rivals" The dilemma is somewhat similar to that regarding the Matrix Revolutions. The movie was a polished action flick with high-powered action scenes and an exceptional premise but suffered because the of the high expectations generated from previous installments of the film. This is the same case for the Cat in the Hat. Since previous films in this genre (Harry Potter and The Grinch) have gone far beyond the premise to create an exceptional movie-going experience of kids and adults the bar was set relatively high for this Universal Pictures movie.

The beginning of the film does a good job of showing the accuracy of the world created by Director Bo Welch and the producers at Universal Pictures. This is something young children will enjoy as it plays up the fantasy world which kids all too often find themselves in.  But for adults they will be sadly disappointed by the lack of a decent script and more importantly the lack of comical dialogue which botches one of the most famous children books ever written. 

The movie does have a few bright points for one, Thing 1 and Thing 2 are insanely hilarious and accurately portrayed as is the updated version Anville featuring Ford Focus' and vibrant colors. Also Kelly Preston's portrayal of a hardworking single mom is fairly enchanting. Also for young male twenty-somethings there is a 2 second cameo of Paris Hilton.

This is a great movie for kids, but outside of a little bit of nostalgia, parents will love the fact this movie is merely 74 minutes which keeps the movie fast paced and fresh.

See this movie if you're a fan of:

The Grinch (2000)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Elf (2003)

Taking your kids to a family movie

Cast:
Mike Myers (as The Cat)
Spencer Breslin (as Conrad Walden)
Dakota Fanning (as Sally Walden)
Alec Baldwin (as Lawrence Quinn)
Kelly Preston (as Joan Walden)
Sean Hayes (as The Fish - voice)
Candace Dean Brown (as Receptionist)
Paige Hurd (as Denise)

Directed By: Bo Welch
Written By: Dr. Seuss & Alec Berg
Produced By: Universal Pictures

Release Date (US): November 21, 2003

Length of Movie: 1h 14min

MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild crude humor and some double-entendres.

Filming Location: Los Angeles (CA), Pomona (CA), Longleaf (FL), Simi Valley (CA).

Budget: $90,000,000

Opening Weekend: $38,329,160