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Recipe for Successful Family Film

1 classic story, preferably from a beloved writer
2 talented jesters who immerse themselves into a character, no matter how big or "how small"
1 pound of cultural references to titillate and entertain a 4-quadrant audience
1 irresistible pop song
a dash of morals and a pinch of a message

Stir together and heat for 88 minutes in a 68 degree theater.

Poke family with clover, if infectious laughter ensues it is "just right".

Horton Hears a Who is an endearing tale about a plucky elephant determined to save the tiny world he discovers atop a clover, even when no one believes that he can hear them from the inconspicuous speck.

Jim Carrey fleshes out this amiable hero with a subtle humor quite unlike his previous body of work. With his "less is more" attitude, he brings out a sweetness to the character that will have you rooting for him maybe even slightly more than the Whos themselves.

His faith and his morals are unshakable, and this is the driving force of the story. He doesn't set out to be a hero, he simply does what he thinks is right no matter the cost.

Thanks to the self righteous and pious Kangaroo, played by comic legend Carol Burnett, that cost would be the Whos and their invisible world. Playing the voice of a cynic - if she cannot hear or see them, they surely do not exist - she decides that Horton's behavior is dangerous and must be stopped.

She convinces Vlad, the local hood of a vulture, to destroy the speck. In doing so she shows the true danger of intolerance. Instead of allowing Horton to relocate the speck to a place of safety away from her narrow little world, she decides instead to destroy that which she doesn't understand.

Meanwhile, Mayor Who, played by Steve Carell, balances the knowledge that their perfect world is in dire jeopardy, and there's nothing he can do about it. Like Horton, the naysayers in his universe also insist on maintaining the status quo at all cost. Therefore they do not believe him and he must struggle to save his town with little to no cooperation.

In the midst of that crisis is the classic struggle between the Mayor and his only son Jo-Jo. The Mayor tries to convince his unconventional heir that it is his duty to carry on as the next Mayor of Whoville.

Jo-Jo has other plans, but he does not communicate them to his dad. Like most teenagers, he communicates to no one.

The story, which starts out in typical animated silly fashion, deepens as the plot thickens. The message becomes inescapable. There is danger in trying to ignore or destroy those things we do not understand. Needless to say the stakes are quite high when Vlad finally corners Horton and manages to separate the well meaning elephant from his treasured speck. The filmmakers manage this with finesse as they lead up right to the line of action a child could tolerate as danger, leaving a lot of the emotional cost for the adults in the audience to process.

Probably one of the most steadfast characters in animated film history, young and old, male and female all can see that Horton fights against all odds to do that which he promised to do.

In doing so, he both endears himself and seals his fate as a true unintentional hero.

It is a story that at its heart shows how believing in each other can change the world for everyone.

Which is a pretty good message for both the kids and the parents in the audience. Despite the deeper moral theme, its heart - the character of Horton - makes it a feel good dish of fun you'll want to experience again and again.

A+

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