User reviews

This movie is certainly not great and maybe not within shouting distance of good, but it is not one of the worst movies of all time. Mike Myers does a fine job of expressing himself through all that make-up and, after a slow start, the story moves at a good pace. The kids in the theater seemed to enjoy it and the adults I was with didn't hate it.

Its Hard to believe this movie is almost 20 years old. I was 9 when I first saw this and have maybe seen it once more since today when I gave The Cat in the Hat one more crack. I dont recall ever having much to say about the film, Im even more sure what I thought of it untill the rewatch was it was horrible, but anyway here's a small review... This was in no way a dumpster fire but in no way was it great either, definitely got some good laughs out of it to end it sweet. Mike Myers was definitely a hit or a miss, in some scenes it felt he over acted but in others he hit the nail on the head, as far as a Dr. Seuss film is concerned its a pass and would recommend it for that good old nostalgia hit if you're watching with friends or family.

Its a very good thing for my community because i live in russia and my russian fellews really aprreciate the time and effort these people put into making this wonderful movie and i want to give this 10 stars because its so good and underrated people who think otherwise are rubbish as we say in russia cyka bylat.

If Dr. Seuss were still alive, he would be VERY disappointed in Hollywood. It's the Cat in the Hat! How do you screw that up!? Mom leaves her kids alone, and a cat shows up. Together with Thing 1 and Thing 2, he causes all sorts of mischief, creating a big mess. Then, when the kids tell him to leave, he feels bad, comes back with a cleaning machine, and fixes everything back to the way it was. Mike Myers, in that horrible costume, was terrifying. Shameless advertising, adult humor, and sexual innuendo had no place in that movie! People were expecting children's movie and ended up with Austin Powers in a freaky cat suit! The bottom line is, in terms of "kid" movies, it's a God awful abomination, and needs to be burned. Just read book or watch the classic cartoon.

If you liked the Grinch movie... go watch that again, because this was no where near as good a Seussian movie translation. Mike Myers' Cat is probably the most annoying character to "grace" the screen in recent times. His voice/accent is terrible and he laughs at his own jokes with an awful weasing sound, which is about the only laughing I heard at the theater. Not even the kids liked this one folks, and kids laugh at anything now. Save your money and go see Looney Tunes: Back in Action if you're really looking for a fun holiday family movie.

Dr. Seuss's stories are funny and charming, and some of them like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who have been made into surprisingly good films.(Jim Carrey was brilliant as the Grinch but the animated short is a wonderful timeless classic) However, Cat in the Hat is just a joke of a film. I saw it with four of my friends at the cinema for my 12th birthday 5 or 6 years ago, and all of us hated it.

The main problem is the casting of Mike Myers, or miscasting more like. He was good as Austin Powers and Shrek, but his performance as the Cat was beyond cringe worthy. There were times when he had a preposterous Scottish accent that didn't suit him at all(it sounded nothing like the voice he used on Shrek), and all the Cat had to do was make terrible fart jokes, and sing songs with lyrics that were impossible to decipher.

The script was terrible, full of fart jokes and clichéd one liners. Kids are most unlikely to laugh at the overused bathroom humour, they will a find it unfunny, or b find it offensive. None of the 5 of us laughed once in this movie, other than when the Cat was singing.

The film does have two redeeming qualities. One is some nice scenery in the latter half of the film. The other is Dakota Fanning, who was the only actress in the film who made some effort to make her character true to the story. Kelly Preston was okay, and Alec Baldwin is very good in films like the Shadow and Hunt For Red October, but in films like this and Thomas and the Magic Railroad, he is completely wasted as the villain.

All in all, a lifeless and unfunny film. It isn't quite as abysmal as Home Alone 4, but it is really awful. I am sorry if I have offended anyone, I genuinely hate criticising movies, but Cat in the Hat really did take the biscuit. 1/10 for the scenery and Fanning. Bethany Cox

The only good thing about this unfunny dreck is that I didn't have to pay for it. I saw it for free at college. And if a college student can't find humor in something that was free, it's hopeless.

Stale acting and poor jokes cannot be masked by an excellent, yet bewildering set design (that goes out of its way to market Volkswagon Beetles). I don't know what Michaels Myers was doing in this movie, but I have never seen anything more depressing. This was nothing more than a blatant effort to capitalize on the previous success of the Grinch (which has its opponents, but I enjoyed it very much). It's difficult not to sit through this failure and wonder what better projects were passed over to fund it.

You want a funny Seuss adaptation? Go with the Grinch.

I assumed that "The Cat in the Hat" was most likely a terrible film, as it's currently #79 on IMDB's infamous Bottom 100. This inclusion is recent, as the website changed its parameters for admission to the list to only include more commonly seen films. Before this, films with only a few dozen scores could make the list...now it only includes movies which were rated by at least 1500 users. This change means that many Hollywood films are now on a list which previously was inundated with more independent features. Most of the films newly to the list are dreadful....but being a bad film junkie, I am a glutton for punishment! Going into the film I assumed it would be bad but was willing to give it a chance...like I enjoyed "The Flintsones in Viva Rock Vegas" (currently #70, though I enjoyed it and scored it a 6).

So is the film bad? Absolutely. In fact, it's horrible and painful to watch. There are two main reasons for this. First, the original Dr. Seuss story was very brief and a movie based on it might only last 10 minutes. So, the studio added a lot....and much of what they added (such as the obnoxious boss and the obnoxious neighbor) was just annoying. Second, not to be outdone by these additions, Mike Myers made his character, the Cat, truly obnoxious and hateful. He talks almost non-stop when so often the film would have worked better had he just shut up! A few times, his prattling was also very child un-friendly--with crude commments that most kids wouldn't understand and a shot to the groin that shouldn't be in a kids movie in the first place?! The bottom line is that the film is annoying and dreadful instead of being fun...and the original story was all about kids meeting a cat who was a lot of fun. In many ways, the film is much like an endurance contest that dares you to turn it off....it's THAT bad. By comparison, Myer's "Love Guru" is practically a Truffaut masterpiece!!

Parents...think twice about letting your children see this movie...it might just make them stupider...particularly if they like it! Also, after the movie was over, my wife (who had slept though almost the entire movie) said "Why was that movie so LOUD?!"....I couldn't have said it much better myself!

You'll be hard pressed to find a more toxic film than Mike Myers' The Cat In The Hat. It's one of the worst reviewed movies of its decade, by critics and audiences alike. Most found its vulgarity and juvenile sense of humor to be offensive, considering the magical and timeless source material. There's no doubt that Mike Myers' Austin Powers brand of humor is an ill fit for the classic Dr. Seuss story, but if you can power through the shock value inherent in The Cat In The Hat, you'll find a fairly entertaining kids romp with a couple of genuine laughs for adults.

The Cat In The Hat shares the same basic outline from the book, with two kids, Sally and Conrad, having a chance encounter with a life-sized Cat played by Mike Myers. The crux of the story is that general hilarity ensues and the kids must clean up before their mother comes home. It's a great story to tell in a children's picture book; There it is charming, innocent, and whimsical. Here, the hilarity is a strange mix of Mike Myers brand humor and standard kid's potty jokes. The kid stuff is dreadfully unfunny, but I can't say that Mike Myers doesn't infuse some kind of welcome energy to the proceedings.

I may sound like I'm giving this film a glowing review; I'm not. The Cat In The Hat spends much more time with flat gags, needless plot points, and baffling music numbers than it does with the moments of real comedy. The story here meanders through every kind of cliché kiddy movie plot point you can think of, and Mike Myers tries his best to annoy even the most optimistic viewers to tears (He relentlessly shouts "Oh Yeah" like an off-brand Kool-Aid Man... Guess what? That catchphrase ain't sticking).

I'm not here to sing the praises of The Cat In The Hat. I'm not even going to defend it, but call me crazy, I laughed during this movie. I really laughed, at more than a few points in the film. Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin are cute, and the sets are colorful and inventive. This movie has problems for sure, mainly stemming from the fact that the whimsy of the book has been replaced with mean-spirited, gross-out humor. If you can get past that fact, there is fun to be had here. It all depends on what you're willing to sit through for a couple of good laughs.

60/100

This horrible butchering of a wonderful book was not worth price of the free passes I had to see it. Note to Hollywood: you can not improve upon perfection. If you are not going to be faithful the the original (as was the 1960's Grinch cartoon), then don't bother. Below is my critique for the true Seuss fan. Note that each sentence below should start on a new line, but I could force the IMDB software to format that way :-(

It stunk at the beginning. It stunk at the end. It stunk in the middle - I'm warning you, friend. It stunk in the day and it stunk in the night. Any way you look at it this movie's not right.

Ignore the movie and read the book. Walk out of the theater, don't give it a look. Go straightaway home, as fast as you can, by car or by bus or by train or by van. Avoid this abomination or you will be sad. Enjoy the original and you will be glad.

The Cat in the Hat is a comical cinematic masterpiece. Bo Welch took a simple book and made it into its own bright lively world. The unique costumes, lighting, and filter used in this film, submerges you into the story. Mike Meyers one liners and jokes are forever quotable, and bring a smile to the faces of many. The cinematography of this film is astonishing for a children's movie. The low angle shots used to announce the dominance and relationship between characters is unexpected in a film such as this, yet it works so well. Every time viewed, I find something new to smile and laugh at. This is my favorite film of all time, 10/10.

A great little feel good film for the family, with a little moral tale for the kids.

The Cat in the Hat is just a slap in the face film. Mike Myers as The Cat in the Hat is downright not funny and Mike Myers could not have been any worse. This is his worst film he has ever been in. The acting and the story was just terrible. I mean how could they make the most beloved stories by Dr. Seuss be made into film and being one of the worst films of all-time and such a disappointment. I couldn't have seen a more worst film than this besides, maybe Baby Geniuses. But this film is just so bad I can't even describe how badly they made this film. Bo Welch should be fired or the writer should.

Hedeen's outlook: 0/10 No Stars F

This is an okay movie. And the visuals are nice. The virtual world is really polished. And the colorful costumes do make a break from the usual movie. The jokes are okay, but nothing special. And the children seem to have fun. But, boy, I had no idea Dr. Seus was a fundamentalist Christian poster boy. That would explain the poor box office results compared with worse movies.

Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch

This movie was pure trash!!! I took my 5 year old cousin to watch it... and all I kept wanting to do is cover her ears between the sexual innuendos and the spelling out of curse words. Mike Myers was so sad to watch... he just cannot get enough of that silly Scottish accent of his from the Austin Powers movies, so he has to throw it in here too! Is this man not getting enough work in Hollywood or what?

Overall, this movie was unbearable to watch. I do NOT recommend this to any child..... or even to my worst enemy!

Well the previews looked funny and I usually don't go to movies on opening night especially with my kids because ......well you never know. Here is a movie that doesn't appeal either to children or adults as the jokes are too perverse for children and falls completely flat for entertainment purposes for adults. I was actually embarrassed to be with my 9 and 6 year old and having to explain to my 6 year old what S H * T spells. Essentially what happens here is a total twisting of Dr. Seuss's classic. It adds an evil and lazy neighbor who wants to marry the children's mother for her money. If that was a subplot, then maybe that would have been fine but it ends up being the major plot around the whole movie and "the cat" plays more of a subplot role in exposing the neighbor to the mom for who he really is. Take my advice and read the book and pass on the movie.

Inappropriate. The PG rating that this movie gets is yet another huge misstep by the MPAA. Whale Rider gets a PG-13 but this movie gets a PG? Please. Parents don't be fooled, taking an elementary school child to this movie is a huge mistake. There were numerous times I found myself being uncomfortable not just because the humor was inappropriate for kids, but also because it was totally out of the blue and unnecessary.

But all that aside, The Cat in the Hat is still a terrible movie. The casting and overall look of the movie are the only saving graces. The beautiful Kelly Preston and the always likeable (or hateable in this case) Alec Baldwin are both good in their roles even though Preston is almost too beautiful for a role like this. The kids are conditioned actors and it shows, especially with Dakota Fanning. Fanning is the only human aspect of the film that kept me watching and not throwing things at the screen.

Did I mention there was an oversized talking cat in this movie? Mike Myers is absolutely deplorable. I didn't like him as the voice of Shrek, and I truly believe now that Myers should not be allowed near the realm of children's films ever again. His portrayal of The Cat is a slightly toned down version of Fat Bastard and Austin Powers.

In the end, the cat should not have come, he should have stayed away, but he came, even if just for a day, he ruined 82 minutes of my life, 82 minutes of personal anger and strife.

The Cat in the Hat may be the worst kids movie ever.

Bad. Bad. Bad. Those three lines sum up this crappy little film that can only attract idiot children and their parents to the cinema. and its... #1 Movie in America! What is this country thinking? Mike Myers looking more like Micheal Jackson. Some Chineese lady that falls asleep within 3 minutes. A lame plot with dirty jokes. It's grotesuque and awful. When Green-Eggs and Ham comes out in 2005 I'll be so happy! (not) Eddie Murphy and Tracy Morgan will probably play two hipsters trying to find the lost Green-Eggs and Ham. They'll try to chase Sam-I-Am and that mean guy who are running away with it. (I hope they don't ruin the classic book.) Don't waste time and money by seeing this.

I went in with the lowest expectations, and laughed most of the time. It's not Shakespeare nor Schindler's List, but it is entertaining. I took my 5 year old daughter who enjoyed it on a completely different level. Everyone who left the theatre was grinning or giggling. It's just basic entertainment wtih no socially redeeming value. And we need those kinds of films.

I give this movie one star because IMDb won't let me select zero stars.

This movie is obviously marketed toward children. As such, it should have humor appropriate for kids. This has some slapstick, but the BAs, swearing and semi-swearing, double etendres, and innuendo have no place in it. If my kids were street-wise prostitute punks, they would get the jokes. But my kids are good kids, and the humor went over their heads. However, if you want to take your kids to a movie where the main character actually talks about cutting off a cat's balls (yes, in that same language), then this is for you. If you want to see the Cat in the Hat have a pseudo erection at looking at a centerfold spread of the kids' mom, then this is for you.

Terrible dialog, terrible lead acting by Mike Myers, terrible script, EXTREMELY bland camera work (the whole thing could have been filmed on a tripod), color and scene design that was good in theory, but in practice just doesn't work... it just goes on and on.

It's just beyond me how something like this can get green-lit. I've watched straight-to-video Land Before Time movies with better pacing, acting, and humor.

And I only registered on IMDb for this review, to help draw down the absurd 3-star rating this film got to some lower number. Just doing my part for justice in this world.

After years and years of hearing how bad this movie was, I finally wartched it last night. I now understand why the crass humor offended the widow of Dr. Suess, and I know why most hated it. But, I don't. The crass humor and many "wtf is happening" moments made this a very fun watch.

The Bad: Like I said, this movie is not technically very good. The kids acting is not the best, and the story is slightly all over the place. Also, thing 1 and thing 2 are just downright creepy. I maybe laughed at 1 or 2 of their jokes, but they mainly just creeped me out.

The Good: I really liked this type of humor. It was so chaotic and crass that I couldn't help but laugh a lot. Most the time the movie knows its being stupid and immature, which only helps its cause. Mike Meyers just plays himself but as a giant cat, and its so funny to me. I understand this is not a good at all adaptation of the book, but I don't care. It was funny, and I enjoyed my time.

Conclusion: It was ruined when she bought it honey. Watch this intoxicated.

There are plenty of comments already posted saying exactly how I felt about this film so Ill keep it short.

"The Grinch" I thought was marvellous - Jim Carrey is a truly talented, physical comedian as well as being a versatile clever actor (in my opinion). Mike Myers on the other hand gets his laughs by being annoying. I used to like him very much in his "Waynes World" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer" days - but Ive never been fond of Austin Powers and "the Cat In The Hat" has just finished me off.

This film was horrible - the gags were horrible! inappropriate for children not only in adult content but in the fact that some of them were so dated they havent amused anyone for 50 years! The plot was messy, messy, messy! Its a shame really because the children were very likeable as was "Mom". They probably could have picked a better villain than Alec Baldwin - but he could have pulled it off if it weren't for Myers ugly, revolting over-acted portrayal of the Cat.

I mean - did Myers even glance at a script? Was one written? The other actors seemed to have one - but the Cat just seemed to be winging it!

On the other hand I would like to mention that the sets and props were marvellous!!! But unfortunately they cant save this film.

Poor Dr Seuss - the man was a genius! Dont ruin his reputation by adapting his work in a such a lazy, messy way!!!

1/10