It has been more than 80 years since the release of Dr. Seuss’s first book, and in that time, there have been dozens of films and TV shows made based on his books. Maybe none is more infamous than the 2003 film Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, which starred Michael Myers, Alec Baldwin, Dakota Fanning, and Sean Hayes, among others. The film is coming to Netflix beginning tomorrow, December 1st, although it’s likely worth checking it out pretty fast if you want to, since the last time it was on Netflix, the license was only for 30 days and it left a month later.
The live-action movie was meant to capitalize on the success of Ron Howard’s live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but while that movie has become a holiday staple for many families, The Cat in the Hat was a box office disappointment. It was also critically reviled, scoring only 9% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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It fared somewhat better with audiences, scoring 54%, but that still isn’t exactly the kind of reception you want for a $100 million movie based on one of the best-selling children’s books of all time.
In the book and film, while awaiting their babysitter, two kids (here named Conrad and Sally) meet a talking cat, who tries to flip their boredom into fun, but leaves their home in shambles.
Myers’ performance in the film takes on the same manic energy as Carrey’s Grinch, making his version of the Cat in the Hat a character who spews a nonstop stream of wisecracks. That, combined with the numerous subplots and side journeys that you have to write in order to stretch any Dr. Seuss book into feature length, created a movie that felt very different from the book on which it was based, although the popular kids’ series The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That (voiced by Martin Short) arguably has a fairly similar energy to it.
Are you looking forward to seeing Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat again on Netflix? Do you think critics were too harsh on it? Sound off in the comments below.
