This past weekend the family made the trip to the theatre to go and see Horton hears a Who! Starring: Jim Carey, Steve Carrell, Carol Burnett, Dan Fogler, Wil Arnett, Jesse McCarthy, and Seth Rogan to name a few.

With a cast like that you expect hilarity, and it Jussst about got there. The movie was funny, the movie in fact was very funny, however it was rated G. So what was really funny for my little kids, wasn't as funny as me. A lot of animated movies these days are rated PG because there is the occasional joke that is meant for the mom or dad watching the movie with the kids. We get to chuckle, they say I don't get it and we say we'll explain when your older. Funny stuff. Horton doesn't have any humor like that. Being totally rated G it is very orientated towards a young crowd. My two teenagers liked the movie as well, but I don't think they enjoyed as much as the younger kids.

The story we are familiar with from the Dr. Seuss book and the cartoon from the 70s, but just in case your not. Horton, played by Carey, is an elephant in the Neul(?) forest hears something on a tiny speck that sits upon a flower. Horton's big elephant ears are able to hear the Who's whose tiny world is on a small peck that has come to rest on a flower. Horton fears for their safety and makes it his mission to get the speck to some place safe, so that all of Whoville is not destroyed. The mayor of Whoville, played by Steve Carrell hears Horton through his pipes and is able to communicate with Horton.

The movie then goes and gets a little political and the message Dr. Seuss was trying to relate in this story comes out loud and clear. In Whoville the mayor tries to warn everyone and explain that their world exists on a tiny speck. Of course the town committee thinks he's crazy and that everything in their world is fine, regardless of the mass changes that are taking place. Horton has to fight off an obnoxious Kangaroo played by Carol Burnett. She is the default leader of the jungle and wants Horton to stop pretending he is hearing something because he's causing the kids to use their imagination and that just leads to anarchy. So she gets together a lynch mob to capture Horton and destroy the flower. So while there is no humor hidden for the adults the themes of prejudice, dictatorship, bullying and being against free thinking are in full force.

The movie has a good message, and a very good ending, especially for kids. Not only is it a happy ending but everyone who started the story as enemies becomes friends. The animation is superb, its something I like to call cartoon realism. The characters are clearly cartoons and the environment has magnificent colors, but things like water and wind look completely real.

The show stealer, not Carey, not Carrell, not even Burnett, nope the one who stole the show for everyone in my family was a little creature named Katie, played by Joey King, a young actress(she's 9!) who has only been on a few things like CSI or The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Once you see Katie in the movie, you'll know what we mean by stealing the show.

What I liked about this movie: The animation was great, the cast was great, the story was really good for kids and it was an overall very funny and good movie.

What I didn't like: It started a little slow. It needed a little more fun stuff in the beginning. Maybe another song. There was one at the end that is very funny.

I give the movie 3 ½ out of 5.