The Cat in the Hat review: It’s got to be more fun than this

In 1957, more Dr. Theodore Geisel, better known as Seuss, wrote “The Cat in the Hat” as an educational read for children — something a little more lively and lively than “Fun With Dick and Jane.” In doing so, he created one of fiction’s most iconic American characters: a chaos-loving cat in a long-striped top hat who loved making rhyming puns and creating fun for children no matter the consequences.

Existing somewhere between Amelia Bedelia and Harold Hill from “The Music Man,” the Cat in the Hat is an oblivious wizard who is now woven into the fabric of American culture. But the new animated movie (starring Bill Hader) is only the second film adaptation of the popular book. After the disaster of 2003’s live-action “Cat in the Hat” starring Mike Myers, Geisel’s widow Audrey decided to no longer allow live-action adaptations of her husband’s works.

The animation is already Dr. It seems more in line with Seuss’s style and imagination, which is extremely absurd and surreal. It’s a shame, then, that this long-awaited film is so limited in its storytelling, so formulaic and filled with obnoxious and over-the-top lessons about appreciating family and accepting the circumstances in which we find ourselves. The Cat in the Hat is first and foremost a fun-loving devil, and unfortunately, this film, which is more sentimental than mischievous, does not reflect that character.

It’s weird, because all the right elements are in place for this to work. Hader’s flexible voice comes out in a higher range than usual, but he also mixes it up and expresses the multifaceted aspects of the Cat’s mercurial personality. The world-building of Cat’s unique workplace is wonderfully colorful and wild, and the voice cast, from Matt Berry to Bowen Yang, deliver fresh and entertaining performances.

So why does this feel like such a difficult task? Perhaps co-writers and co-directors Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja tried to do too much. The plot is somewhat faithful to the book; The cat is tasked with cheering up two siblings, Gabby (Xochitl Gomez) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), who are left home alone on a rainy day. They’ve just moved to a new part of town, and teenage Gabby is distraught and angry at her well-intentioned mother (America Ferrera).

Meanwhile, the Cat is living his last life at work; His boss (Giancarlo Esposito) is disappointed that his “confusion meter” scores are so high, even though he scores well on “emotion scope.” He sets the Cat up for failure, threatening to kick him out if there is even the slightest mess, then seduces the Cat into cleaning up his mess with the Go-Backer, a dangerously insidious device. Even with the help of her friend Sherri (Quinta Brunson) and hilariously arrogant nepo-hiring intern Gary (Yang), Cat is in an impossible situation – can her adventure with Gabby and Sebastian work in her favor?

The cat and the kids dive into their cardboard boxes to find the lost Go-Backer and explore vast, wondrous worlds shaped by their interests and imaginations. But if the Go-Backer is abused, it threatens to tear reality apart, and a Thing that transforms into a terrifying monster with Gollum-like tendencies, obsessed with the Go-Backer, is after them. If they can’t figure everything out, this will be more than just a mess.

There’s a bit of a wonky problem here, but everything that happens in this dream world is metaphorical, of course in service of Gabby’s terrific reveal that her mother was once a creative person, too. There are so many pithy life lessons in a movie that should be silly, simple entertainment. These are nice sentiments, but will The Cat in the Hat really be a conduit for it? He’s just a cat salesman who spreads trouble and jokes.

For all the talent on display here, from Hader to Yang to Berry voicing the boy’s goldfish, Waffles—no longer an enemy but rather an ally of the Cat—the film misses the mark when it comes to Seussian whimsy. There are some mixed animation styles that add to the visual appeal, but the “real world” where we spend most time is gray and bland, despite the Cat’s presence. Some moments are charmingly strange, especially those involving the Things gang (they’re clearly gearing up for a sequel), but aside from one or two bits, most of the humor feels forced, the cloying emotional themes overpowering everything else, even Hader’s prodigious talents.

Although it begins as an educational text, “The Cat in the Hat” should be entertaining. This adaptation? Not fun (enough).

Katie Walsh is the Tribune News Service film critic.