# Mike Meyers as the Cat in the Hat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248 "2003-08-14T21:31:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/1 "2003-08-14T21:31:14Z")
I’ve heard rumblings of this, but now I’ve seen the trailer. Predictably, [ugh](http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/thecatinthehat/). Looks like Hollywood is bending Dr. Seuss over and rogering him right and proper once again. The “it’s my mom” thing is especially egregious. I love the Cat in the Hat. I doubt I’ll be wanting to see this. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/2 "2003-08-14T21:38:18Z")
I loved the line “Um Awkward” (or something akin to that) in the trailer, that was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/3 "2003-08-14T21:46:30Z")
Funny, yes. Classic Mike Myers, yes. Anything at all to do with the Cat in the Hat? Nope. If they just wanted to make another Mike Myers movie, why bother butchering a Dr. Seuss classic? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/4 "2003-08-14T21:46:42Z")
As with _The Grinch_, there will be an adult subtext, including the “Awkward” moment. Although this wasn’t part of Seuss’s books, such subtexts are perfectly common in the classic Warner cartoons. If they tried to present a movie with this much visually style entirely for kids, frankly, I bet even the kids would find it spectacularly dull. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/5 "2003-08-14T21:57:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*If they tried to present a movie with this much visually style entirely for kids, frankly, I bet even the kids would find it spectacularly dull. \*\* Which leads me to my next question, why make this into a movie at all? As a book it’s great. As a movie (especially a Hollywood-ized, pseudo-children’s movie), it’s just another Mike Myers vehicle. I thought the Jim Carrey version of “Grinch” had some funny moments (I loved the tablecloth bit, when he pulled it off the table), but was pretty much a complete butchery of the book. Seems to me you could make a funny movie without trying to torture Dr.Seuss’ original material into a form which isn’t really compatible. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/6 "2003-08-14T22:47:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Avalonian \* > \*\*Which leads me to my next question, why make this into a movie at all? As a book it’s great. Well, to make money. I mean, duh. > [@](#): > > As a movie (especially a Hollywood-ized, pseudo-children’s movie), it’s just another Mike Myers vehicle. > > I thought the Jim Carrey version of “Grinch” had some funny moments (I loved the tablecloth bit, when he pulled it off the table), but was pretty much a complete butchery of the book. > > Seems to me you could make a funny movie without trying to torture Dr.Seuss’ original material into a form which isn’t really compatible. At the very least, you should see the film before concluding that it did a disservice to Seuss. And if it deserves the noose. Or to be dragged by a blue caboose. Or to be gored by a great brown moose. For what is the use of defending Seuss by heaping abuse when the film’s a wild goose? Better to wait until release date and sometime 'round eight get in line, wait. After the show, you’ll know if it blows! And then we can debate. [sub]And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Thread![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/7 "2003-08-14T23:55:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Well, to make money. > > I mean, duh.\*\* Of course… greed is a great reason. How silly of me. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > **At the very least, you should see the film before concluding that it did a disservice to Seuss.** Fair enough, but the trailer certainly _sells_ it as a disservice to Seuss. Highlighting the “That’s my mom” joke alone is a disservice to the original work. It doesn’t make me want to see the movie. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > **And if it deserves the noose. > Or to be dragged by a blue caboose. > Or to be gored by a great brown moose. > For what is the use of defending Seuss by heaping abuse when the film’s a wild goose? Better to wait until release date and sometime 'round eight get in line, wait. After the show, you’ll know if it blows!** OK, even grumpy as I am at the moment… that was seriously cute. 🙂 Thanks **Bryan**. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/8 "2003-08-15T04:56:59Z")
Mm… y’know, it seems to me that the Chuck Jones studio, working with Boris Karloff, took a Dr. Seuss book and turned it into a very passable half hour TV cartoon. More than passable… it has, in fact, become a classic. And it has been done before, and since. Any number of very fine TV specials have been made from Dr. Seuss books. I’m still waiting for a decent Dr. Seuss theatrical movie, though. I did like “The 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T…” ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/9 "2003-08-15T06:34:33Z")
Yes, but that was a cartoon. There’s a difference between making a few drawings move for half an hour and turning them into a 90 minute makeup fest. It’s a transition between media that shouldn’t be done, because basically you’re fluffing up a book that can be flipped through in 2 minutes. The animated Lorax was also excellent. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/10 "2003-08-15T10:27:15Z")
Oh, Noooooo. Not Dr. Seuss as well. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-meyers-as-the-cat-in-the-hat/195248/11 "2003-08-15T16:08:16Z")
Speaking of fluffing up things, **Moo** , I must say I liked the Depatie-Freling TV version of _The Cat in the Hat_. They were able to stretch out a very simple book (Cat wreaks havoc. Disappears before anyone notices) into a half hour show (Cat who sounds like Allan Sherman wreaks havoc, leaves. Cat comes back, wreaks more havoc while searching for moss-covered three-handled family gredunza, disappears before anyone notices) while still being good. Stretching it into a film will be hard.