Who? Horton, that's who

Updated Friday, March 14, 2008 - 1:08pm by Justin Powell

The work of Dr. Seuss seems to resonate more in picture books - or 30-minute TV specials - than it does in feature-length films.

"The Cat in the Hat" starring Mike Myers in 2003 was a complete disaster, and the "Grinch" movie featuring Jim Carrey didn't have nearly as much magic as the 1966 TV version of the story. Yet Carrey is back doing Seuss material again, lending his voice for the adaptation of "Horton Hears a Who!" opening Friday at Carmike Plaza 8.

Perhaps the most promising sign about this movie is that - unlike the two Seuss adaptations mentioned in the previous paragraph - "Horton" is animated. The live-action films didn't seem to fully capture the worlds Seuss created, no matter how hard the directors tried. Perhaps this film will have better luck accomplishing that feat.

Another promising sign for this movie is that, in addition to Carrey, Steve Carell is voicing one of the main characters. Those are two pretty funny actors teaming together - there's bound to be at least a few entertaining moments.
Other movies opening this week include "Penelope," "Doomsday" and "Never Back Down."

"Horton Hears a Who!"
(Opening Friday at Carmike Plaza 8)

Carrey provides the voice of Horton, an elephant living in the jungle of Nool. One day, Horton comes across what he thinks is a tiny speck of dust. Upon further examination, it actually is a tiny planet home to the Whos, who live in Whoville.
After Horton discovers the Whos are up against some serious danger, he agrees to help protect them, despite drawing ridicule from some other jungle animals for doing so.
Carell voices the Mayor of Whoville.
The supporting cast also features plenty of big names - and funny actors - including Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Jonah Hill ("Superbad"), Amy Poehler ("Saturday Night Live") and Jamie Pressly ("My Name is Earl").
As one might expect given the source material, the film carries a G rating and figures to be a good movie for kids. Whether it provides enough laughs to entertain the adults as well, we'll have to find out.

"Penelope"
(Opening Friday at Carmike Plaza 8)

Another family-friendly film, "Penelope" is a modern fairy tale about a young woman who falls under a curse and is stuck with a pig's nose on her otherwise beautiful body.
Christina Ricci stars as the title character, and the special effects crew made sure that pig's snout looks pretty realistic in the center of her face. (Honestly, she still doesn't look too bad. I'd consider taking her out to dinner).
Following a familiar plot line of fairy tales, Penelope's curse will end only once she finds true love and learns to like herself just the way she is.
Born to wealthy socialites, Penelope's money attracts many eligible bachelors, but none of them can look past the nose.
James McAvoy ("Atonement") plays Max, a man hired by a tabloid paper to get a photograph of Penelope. But once Max gets to know her, he starts to have feelings for her, complicating the situation.
Reese Witherspoon - one of the film's producers - has a supporting role.
"Penelope" debuted a while ago at the Toronto Film Festival, but it was cut down for its theatrical release here, and many critics have said they enjoy the shorter version for what it is - a lighthearted story that also has a positive message about body image.

"Doomsday"
(Opening Friday nationwide)

This film appeals to a very different crowd than either of the previous two movies discussed in this column. It appeals to those who love futuristic, sci-fi thrillers about viruses that threaten to wipe out the human race.
The movie takes place three decades after the lethal Reaper Virus wiped out a large portion of the population of England. A team of specialists, led by Eden Sinclair (played by Rhona Mitra) is ordered to enter a hot zone where a new breakout has occurred. They're supposed to develop a cure for the virus before things get worse.
Bob Hoskins also stars.
Writer and director Neil Marshall says the movie relies heavily on old-school stuntwork, and the commercials and trailers released thus far do have a relatively unique look to them - at least unique for this decade.
The film covers ground that many movies have covered before, but it knows its target audience and is likely to entertain at least that group of filmgoers.

"Never Back Down"
(Opening Friday nationwide)

Thanks to the "Rocky" series, pretty much all of us have seen a movie or two about boxing. And thanks to "The Karate Kid," most of us have seen one about karate.
Now we get to see a movie about underground fighting that, unlike the excellent "Fight Club," doesn't figure to take a turn into social commentary during the second half.
Sean Faris (not related to Anna Faris), plays Jake, a teenager trying to survive at his new high school. He eventually gets lured into an underground fight club, where he finds a mentor (played by Djimon Hounsou) who teaches him how to compete.
One reviewer described the movie as "Save the Last Dance" meets "Fight Club," without any of the redeeming values of "Fight Club." I haven't even seen the film yet, but that's about what I'm expecting.

Still, it's an interesting idea to mix the teen-angst drama with a film that includes some brutal fight scenes, helping draw two groups of audience members together that normally might not enjoy the same movie.

DVD releases

"No Country for Old Men," "Bee Movie," "August Rush," "Dan in Real Life," "Nancy Drew," "Hitman" and "Sleuth."