Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat [Blu-ray]

Grab a place on the couch, or go find a seat For you're in for a wonderful Dr. Seuss treat! The Cat in the Hat who goes by that name is played by Mike Myers of comedy fame! It starts with two kids on a cold, cold wet day Their mom is at work and they've no games to play! Then in walks the fun in the form of a Cat who pulls out the laughs from the brim of his hat. Things really get wild when the Cat and his crew (who go by the name of Thing One and Thing Two) take over the house of Conrad and Sally, In this fine family film that's right up your alley!

The Cat in the Hat is a marketing ploy disguised as a wildly designed movie for hyperactive kids, and it could use a dose of Ritalin. It hardly matters, though, because kids will surely enjoy the rampant romp that occurs when the top-hatted feline convinces young Sally (Dakota Fanning) and Conrad (Spencer Breslin) to wreak havoc in the home their mother (Kelly Preston) has neatly prepared for an upcoming party. It's all in the name of fun, and while Seuss's classic rhymes are relegated to voice-over narration, director Bo Welch capitalizes on his background as one of Hollywood's most gifted production designers (with credits including Edward Scissorhands and Men in Black), turning the Seussian town of "Anville" into a playful pastiche of pastels. As played by Mike Myers under layers of fur and latex, Dr. Seuss's mischievous Cat is mayhem personified, and the movie suffers from his anything-goes approach to getting a laugh. And though Myers delivers a few laughs while channeling voices from his own comedic repertoire (including "Coffee Talk" maven Linda Richman), a little of this Cat goes a long way, and he nearly wears out his welcome. --Jeff Shannon