The Cat in the Hat 2003

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: This is not your father or mother's Cat in the Hat, certainly, and it has the decency -- or disregard -- not to be. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: A poorly made movie for children, full of crass, bodily-function humor and embarrassingly empty one-liners. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: First published in 1957, The Cat In The Hat is one of the most-loved and best-selling children's books ever. It's also a mere 1,600 words -- and even at 82 minutes, the movie version seems like a big stretch. Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: The movie includes little of Seuss' language and even less of his wit. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: A vulgar, uninspired lump of poisoned eye candy that Universal has the temerity to call Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat. Read more

Mary Brennan, Seattle Times: The movie has some mildly amusing moments, but it completely lacks the wild glee and irresistible rhythm of the book. Read more

Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: As entertainment, Cat in the Hat is barely so-so. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Represents everything corrupt, bloated, and wrong with mainstream Hollywood movies. Read more

Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times: If directing bad movies were a sin to confess, Bo Welch would say oops for making this mess. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: It's a barrel of lunatic laughs. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: It's perfect for parents looking for harmless entertainment to keep the young ones engaged during the holidays, but less than perfect for anyone else. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: I do not like this cat in his hat. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: A holiday movie that makes the audience feel as if they're having the ultimate bad day at Disney World. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: A semi-intriguing abomination, the movie The Cat in the Hat takes a piece of classic childhood Americana and turns it into something garish, dumb, ugly and senseless. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: For enduring this mess/ They should pay us a fee. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Little more than an assaultive sequence of skits meant to showcase Mike Myers' gifts as a rat-a-tat purveyor of impressions. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is perhaps the worst holiday movie ever made. Read more

Bob Campbell, Newark Star-Ledger: Flashy but flat. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Fun has never looked so tedious. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: The movie is so disappointing, in fact, that it makes Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas look like a masterpiece. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: There are two, and only two, noteworthy things about The Cat in the Hat. It's visually impressive, and Mike Myers has a field day. Other than that, the movie is entirely forgettable. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is a triumph above all of production design. That's partly because the production design is so good, partly because the movie is so disappointing. Read more

Charles Taylor, Salon.com: The best argument yet made for extending artists' rights beyond the grave. Read more

C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle: It is hard to say who is less recognizable in The Cat in the Hat, Mike Myers or the actual Cat in the Hat. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: One of the most repulsive kiddie movies ever made. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: This adaptation departs from the kiddie classic with freewheeling abandon, but is faithful in the most important way: Wonders never cease. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Susan Walker, Toronto Star: The Cat In The Hat goes splat. Read more

Time Out: Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The Cat in the Hat is long on visual dazzle but short on warmth, and the humor is excessively raunchy for a family film. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: The younger the viewers, the better reactions are bound to be, while grownups will sit still in varying states of bemusement and discomfiture. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: Comes scarily close to being the most unendurable Hollywood creation of the last dozen years. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: So good it breaks your heart for not being better. Read more