Horton is loyal, stubborn and compassionate - traits that are all drowned out in the static of Carrey's performance and the hectic proliferation of subplots. It is lucky that just enough of the basic story survives to give the movie a touch of gravity and suspense. Horton, hearing the voices of the Whos on their little speck, must protect them from a moralizing kangaroo (Carol Burnett) and her henchfolk, who include a Russian vulture (Will Arnett) and a band of aristocratically named apes.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Who-ville must band together to make their presence known in the larger universe. It's a marvelous tale, and a hard one to ruin. And the makers of Horton Hears a Who! haven't, though I fear it was not for lack of trying.
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