Bill Hader's 'Cat in the Hat' Lands 70 on Mess-o-Meter as Review Calls It Marvel for Tots
Updated
Updated · Variety · Nov 3
Bill Hader's 'Cat in the Hat' Lands 70 on Mess-o-Meter as Review Calls It Marvel for Tots
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Nov 3
Summary
A new review judges the animated "The Cat in the Hat" a hectic but serviceable kids' fantasy, scoring it about 70 on the film's own Mess-o-Meter.
Bill Hader's Cat is described as friendly rather than audacious, while the movie is faulted for swapping Dr. Seuss's mischievous spirit for blockbuster-style spectacle and franchise-building.
Gabby, her brother Sebastian and the Cat move through portal-box adventures, a time-rewind device and a final monster battle that the review says echo Pixar, Marvel and "Moana."
The film is still seen as an improvement on the widely panned 2003 live-action version, but one that feels overcrowded, underfelt and built to sell a new generation of Things.