DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO (2008)

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A solid family film that is well executed and entertaining.

I know it keeps with the original genesis (from the book), but the whole thing with animation and kids stories about burying "messages" gets a little tired.

I'm not a film theorist, I'm sure B-Alan could help out here, but it seems this film is besieged by a not very thinly veiled anti-abortion message. “After all, a person is a person no matter how small.”

Now... as I wrote the above, I decided to GOOGLE: "anti-abortion messaging in horton hears a who"... what do I find? That anti-abortion activists crashed the premier.

Well... well... well... Do we really think that Dr. Seuss wanted this to be an anti-abortion tome?

I doubt it... he probably was more speaking to letting CHILDREN (those that have been BIRTHED) speak their mind and encouraging adults to LISTEN to them.

That seems a much more plausible scenario. This said, though, I've been "schooled" in the theory that threads through such titles as JUNGLE BOOK and nearly all other Disney movies. To hear the theorists tell it, we're all just open minded noobs being assaulted by gay and lesbian guerillas in our childhood animation.

I guess I'm not ready to buy that line... yet. But I DO see what they're referring to.

In the end, if you can just watch the film (and, better, ENJOY it WITH your kids, who don't have any preconceived anti-abortion messaging in the front of their minds), you will find this a thoroughly entertaining weekend matinee.

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