Horton Hears a Who!
Recommended. Age: 4+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Horton is a kind elephant with very big ears. He hears a tiny voice coming from a speck of dust, and finds a whole town of tiny people living on it. Nobody believes him, but Horton promises to keep them safe. The line everyone remembers is 'A person's a person, no matter how small.' Horton keeps his word when it costs him his good name and nearly his freedom. That is a fine picture of defending the weakest when no one else can see them, and Catholic parents will hear the pro-life echo at once.
For parents
Rated G, and Common Sense Media says four and up. The USCCB classification is A-I, general patronage, as the CNS review reports. Greydanus at Decent Films says Kids & Up and warns of some mild rudeness and mild animated menace. Things to know: Vlad the vulture has dark, scary scenes. A mob ropes and cages Horton and means to boil the speck. Monkeys pelt him with bananas. Name-calling includes 'boob,' 'idiot,' 'moron' and 'fatboy.' There is some potty humor. The villain kangaroo is a mother who 'pouch-schools' her child, which reads as a dig at homeschooling families. Ask: why does Horton keep his promise when everyone laughs at him? Who are the smallest people we are asked to protect? The kangaroo says if you cannot see or hear it, it is not real. Is that true? What about God, angels and our souls?