Not that I expected it to be good...

[saxikath]

...but I don't usually expect lines like this in New York Times movie reviews.

"I am tempted to say that this Cat should be tied up in a sack and drowned, but I wouldn't want to condone cruelty to animals, even metaphorically. Cruelty to classic works of children's literature is bad enough.

Neutering, to prevent this beast from spawning sequels, is perhaps the most humane solution."

"Cat in the Hat" is getting some of the most resoundingly negative reviews I think I've ever read. Which is about what I expected from the commercials.

Comments

[ex-colorwhe.livejournal.com]

A children's lit listserv I subscribe to is trashing it unanimously.

The previews I saw yesterday were beyond wretched.

[jadelennox]

I just got private e-mail from someone who saw an early showing, who absolutely hated it. Hated. Toilet humor with a moral about having fun responsibly, was her nutshell analysis.

[bookishfellow.livejournal.com]

I've been annoyed with the Geisel estate ever since they started licensing Horton Hears a Who boxer shorts. Dr Seuss refused categorically to subject his creations to marketing tie-ins during his lifetime. I think it's extremely base and grasping of his heirs to ignore ignore this in the interest of making a buck. That's why, much as I think it would be neat, I'll never own a Grinchy Claus necktie or stuffed Lorax.

stuffed lorax?

[cramerica.livejournal.com]

Why, that's something that everyone, everyone, everyone needs!

[red-queen.livejournal.com]

Whooo, who summoned Dorothy Parker's ghost? It's just about up to her calibre of sarcasm/sharpness. I fell for Dorothy Parker when I was about 15. I know she's a terrible role model, but I spent four years reviewing mysteries for the Drood Review of Mystery partly in homage to her (okay, so free books was a BIG factor also).

Nice to see a decisive opinion, undiluted by wobblings about political correctness and "being fair" to all. As William Goldman observed, life isn't fair. Sometimes the Emperor is bare-ass to the wind.

[mattbeo.livejournal.com]

The Boston Globe gave it half a star--a wretched rating, but one half-star more than the universally scorned Gigli earned. Ty Burr's Globe review of the latter contains one of my favorite movie-review zingers:

"Larry and Ricki eventually climb between the sheets in a scene that is insulting to the sexuality of all living creatures, from plankton on up."

[mattbeo.livejournal.com]

Follow-up: I just read Burr's review of Cat and the closing line is purr-fect:

"It's fast and it's shiny and may be a hit. But we do not like it. Not one little bit."

[zenala.livejournal.com]

I'm just getting so sick of all the tie-in ads. Especially Burger King. If I'd eaten there more than once in the past 10 years, I'd stop going just for those gawdawful annoying ads.