Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An eccentric elephant must protect a tiny speck of land containing a hidden civilization from a group of antagonistic jungle inhabitants.
The story
In the Jungle of Nool, an eccentric elephant named Horton discovers a tiny speck of land that houses a hidden city called Whoville. While the inhabitants of Whoville, led by Mayor Ned McDodd, are unaware of the outside world, Horton realizes they are in danger from the local jungle inhabitants. When the Sour Kangaroo and her allies attempt to seize the speck, Horton must embark on a journey to find a safe haven for the Whos. As the conflict escalates, Horton must stand firm against the demands of the jungle's residents to ensure the survival of the tiny civilization living on his speck.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Horton the Elephant discovers a tiny speck in the Jungle of Nool that contains the city of Whoville. The city is ruled by Mayor Ned McDodd, who is struggling to protect his people from the ignorance of the local jungle animals. The Sour Kangaroo, who believes the Whos don't exist, tries to force Horton to surrender the speck. The situation escalates when the villainous Vlad Vladikoff steals the flower holding the speck, causing a crisis in Whoville. After Horton recovers the flower, the Kangaroo rallies the jungle animals to capture him. During a final confrontation, the Whos use a 'symphonophone' to make their presence known. The truth of their existence is revealed when the animals hear them. Ultimately, the animals realize the Kangaroo's deception and the Whos are saved. The film ends with the realization that all worlds are just specks in a vast universe.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 86
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jimmy Hayward; Steve Martino
- Writers
- Cinco Paul · writer; Ken Daurio · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jim Carrey · Horton the Elephant; Steve Carell · Mayor Ned McDodd; Will Arnett · Vlad Vladikoff; Seth Rogen · Morton the Mouse; Dan Fogler · Vonford/the Chairman; Isla Fisher · Dr. Mary Lou LaRue; Jonah Hill · Thomas "Tommy" Cow-Bear; Amy Poehler · Sally O'Malley; Carol Burnett · the Sour Kangaroo; Josh Flitter · Rudy Kangaroo
- Genres
- animated; adventure; comedy
- Themes
- universal values; friendship; integrity
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; heartwarming
- Setting
- The Jungle of Nool and the city of Whoville.
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; talking animals; hidden world
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1954 children's book by Dr. Seuss
- Reception
- The film was well-received by critics, who praised its writing, visuals, and faithfulness to the source material.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 79% · scale: 135 reviews · review count: 135; Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Production trivia
- First Dr. Seuss film fully animated using CGI; Second film to feature Jim Carrey as a Dr. Seuss character; Based on a 1954 children's book
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…