When Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, first created the Cat in the Hat, it was an instant success and the titular Cat became one of the most recognizable figures in all of American literature. Since then there have been numerous stories with the character, from sequel books by Seuss to television specials, series, and films. After his first film adaptation with 2003's "The Cat in the Hat," Seuss's widow was so appalled at the results, that she announced she would be barring any further live-action adaptations of his material. So now, over twenty years after the last attempt to bring this feline in a chapeau to the big screen, he's returned in his first animated film adaptation. We're already off to a better start than before.
This film follows the titular Cat in the Hat, played by Bill Hader ("Barry," "Superbad"), reimagined as an employee of the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC. The Cat's job is to seek out sad human children and make their days better. However, his ridiculous messes has put him in the crosshairs of his boss Mr. Hoogeboom, played by Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad," "Do the Right Thing"), who threatens to fire him if he makes a mess of his next job. So, armed with a time travel device called the Go Backer, the Cat attempts to brighten the day of siblings Gabby and Sebastian, played by Xochitl Gomez ("Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness," "The Baby-Sitters Club (2020)") and Tiago Martinez ("Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado") respectively.
Hader's version of the Cat certainly maintains the high level of creative and chaotic energy one would expect from the character. There's a genuine sweetness to his voice that feels like a well-meaning older sibling taking the younger ones along for a wild ride. He's without a doubt the highlight of the film and clearly gives it his all. Gomez and Martinez are also good, though their roles are less animated than Hader's given the nature of their characters. Martinez is an entertaining younger brother type without ever tripping into being annoying, and Gomez plays the traditional jaded older sibling type well. The rest of the supporting cast is a who's –who of celebrity talent and they all work well enough, but none really stand out as anything memorable.
Matt Berry's ("What We Do in the Shadows (2019)," "The IT Crowd") soothing dulcet tones play nicely with the character of Waffles the Fish, but apart from him everyone else is either forgettable or annoying. Esposito falls into the former camp, as does Quinta Brunson ("Abbott Elementary," "A Black Lady Sketch Show") as Sherrie from HR, as neither of them do anything with their work. Meanwhile the likes of Paula Pell ("Mapleworth Murders," "Girls5eva") as Gabby and Sebastian's landlord Patty, Bowen Yang ("Wicked," "Fire Island") as Gary the Intern, and Tituss Burgess ("Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "Central Park") as the Psychic Narwhal are all just irritating. Thankfully, none are major featured players, but whenever they are shoved back into the film even for a brief moment, it's a hard spike in an otherwise unassuming batch of performances. America Ferrara ("Superstore," "Barbie") is also a bright spot as Gabby and Sebastian's mother, but she's hardly in the film at all and you'll likely forget she has a celebrity voice actor until the very end.
These gaggle of supporting characters that run the gamut from palatable to annoying are only one of the big issues with writer/director Erica Rivinoja ("Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2," "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm") and Alessandro Carloni's ("Kung Fu Panda 3") script. Whenever things center on the Cat and his adventures with Gabby and Sebastian, they're relatively harmless. It's a fun little tale with a good heart and lesson at its core, without ever rewriting the playbook on animated family filmmaking. Yet, when things do turn back towards the Institute, they just become far more grating. Rivinoja and Carloni have decided that, for some reason, their story of the Cat in the Hat needs an antagonist, a giant monster, and an epic third act battle. It not only feels remarkably out of place even if you don't know the original story, but it also just feels completely generic.
While those moments are clearly padding a story that doesn't need them, others are downright painful. The new bunch of Things aren't horrible, despite being blatantly designed as Minions-esque marketable characters, but the Patty the land lady is just horribly irritating whenever she appears, and her story even moreso. And yes, this is a story about the Cat in the Hat is not screaming for logical conclusions, a big part of the film revolves around the GoBacker, a device with a subplot that not only isn't necessary but makes zero sense within the film's own limited internal logic.
The film's animation is a highlight and quite dazzling. While not as inventive as other recent studio features, it is a clean look that plays with form well. Whenever the film is in the Institute or any imagined world, things are cel-shaded with a purposeful lack of dimension that lends it an otherworldly look. Then when things move to the real world, there's a distinct roundness that fills everything out. It's an appealing look for a film like this, and it fits with composer Lorne Balfe's ("The LEGO Batman Movie," "Black Widow") score. It doesn't try to break out of the box it's placed in, but it's an appealing bunch of musical cues and fun brass works. Surprisingly, the film opens with a "theme song" for the Cat that he references throughout the film with differing lyrics that proves to be a fun recurring gag and a bit of an earworm.
"The Cat in the Hat" checks off a lot of the boxes required for a piece of family animated entertainment. It has celebrity voices, appealing visual style, and a good lesson at its core. There's nothing strictly speaking wrong with it or abhorrently, but it also squanders the opportunity to do something creative with this material. Instead, it shoves the Cat into a tale that's generic at best and annoying at worst. Hader saves the film, and when it's strictly focusing on the Cat and his adventure with Gabby and Sebastian, it's pretty fun. But an overwritten and unnecessary worldbuilding with a bunch of annoying supporting characters prevents anything here from really shining. I'd like to have a long talk with whoever decided what we needed from this film was to meet the Cat in the Hat's HR manager. 2.5/5