Everybody's a critic - 'The Cat in the Hat'

One star (out of four)

If the real Dr. Seuss were here, he'd call in a Star-bellied Sneech and Cleanerupermajig to wash away this messy adaptation of the quintessential Dr. Seuss story.

Mike Myers attempts to be funny by attempting to be funny. And it doesn't work. Instead of embracing the character and becoming one with the cat, he attempts to infuse bits and pieces of every character he's ever done into the lead role of this film.

The only character that truly captures the essence of Seuss is the goldfish voiced by Sean Hayes. The voicing of this character is so perfect that I actually believed in the fish and left the theater wishing the film had been about him instead of the cat.

If your 6-to-12-year-olds want to go see the movie, take them to the matinee and make them reimburse you for the tickets when you get home.

- Roy Merideth, language arts teacher

Two and a half stars (out of four)

Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" opens in the wonderfully Seussian town of Anville. The town and its inhabitants seem to be pulled directly out of the artwork of Dr. Seuss' books. But the best parts of this movie are its young actors.

Conrad Walden (Spencer Breslin) is a born rule-breaker. He is enthusiastic and sincere, a treat to watch. Sally Walden (Dakota Fanning) is the perfect contrast to her brother, the annoyingly perfect child.

Sadly, most of Dr. Seuss's playful turns of phrase and rhyming are missing. Mike Myers lends his typical brand of humor to the Cat, which will only entertain an older audience. The biggest disappointment lies in the Cat's arsenal of jokes. Far too many of the Cat's jokes are bathroom humor, suggestive, or otherwise so rooted in pop culture that they will be lost on younger ears.

- Ben Edwards, sales agent

One star (out of four)

I was so excited about seeing "The Cat in the Hat," but this movie was a wash. I was totally disappointed. Parents should be forewarned that the contents of the movie are too mature for small children. The content may be too sexual.

In comparison to other Dr. Seuss movies like "The Grinch," "The Cat in the Hat" doesn't measure up. The movie itself has a few seconds of actual funniness. The rest is just a disgrace to the name Seuss.

I recommend you see this movie if you like jokes about passing gas, weird cats, and what seems to be gross purple goo (by the tons). Kudos though to Conrad (Spencer Breslin) and Sally (Dakota Flenning). These kids are going to be big stars.

My advice to everyone is to avoid this movie like the plague.

- Amy Mattingly, college student