Movie review
Classic cat needs better hat
by Diana de Leon, Feature Editor

   Beware: a six-foot-tall black cat in a red hat is loose in theaters all over the place, but leave him alone and maybe he will go home.
   The Cat in the Hat as written by Dr. Seuss is a children’s classic loved by millions, but the movie is a dud.
   The movie follows the book’s basic storyline. Sally (Dakota Fanning) and Conrad (Spencer Breslin) have pushed their single mom (Kelly Preston) to the limit.
   Conrad breaks rules so often Mom is threatening military school.
   Tightly wound but well-behaved Sally spends her time criticizing her brother and adding new items to her junior palm pilot’s To Do list.
   Mom tries her best to maintain peace while working as a real estate agent.
   Stressed over an up-coming office party she is hosting, Mom lays down the law: the children cannot leave the house nor make a mess nor misbehave in any way while she is at work.
   With the babysitter (Any Hill) snoozing in the next room, Sally and Conrad sit and stare out the window.
   Suddenly, their world turns upside down when an unexpected guest arrives to show them “it’s good to have fun … but you have to know how.”
   The Cat in the Hat—the original party animal (Mike Myers)—brings to life every child’s fantasy and every parent’s nightmare.
  At the end of the movie, the children are supposed to learn how to handle fun and responsibility.
   The movie is visually fun because the special effects are well done and extremely colorful.
   The problem lies in the intended audience.
   My four-year-old daughter thought the movie was funny and liked it very much, but her older brother was bored.
   Children older than nine will find the effects boring because they are used to grander things they see in video games and in action movies.
   As an adult viewer, I thought the movie lacked a funny bone and only watched it so I could write this review.
   The magical, destructive characters Thing One and Thing Two are more expressive and fun to watch than the two children in the movie.
   Alec Baldwin was great as the neighbor who wants to marry the mom.
   His portrayal of a mean-spirited slacker is very well done, and the audience is meant to hate him.
   But, of course, the film belongs to Myers. His unrivaled comedy timing and antics bring the Seuss character to life as no one else can.
   Bottom line is go see The Cat in the Hat if your child is under five years old, but stay away if your child is older.
   I was very disappointed in the way this movie was produced.
   I had thought being a Dr. Seuss story would have guaranteed it better treatment.
   I am sure many parents will take their children to see this movie just because it is a Dr. Seuss story.
   But, parents, keep in mind that the movie Jonah a Veggie Tale was funnier than The Cat in the Hat.