By CHRIS VOGNAR (with apologies to Dr. Seuss) / The Dallas Morning News
There once was a book called The Cat in the Hat.
You've probably read it, and loved it at that.
But now it's a film
And boy, is it rank,
Made just to put cash
In the studio's bank.
Mike Myers does shtick as the big feline friend
And after 10 minutes you'll want it to end.
He prances and dances
And mugs without shame.
If you've had a root canal,
The effect is the same.
His kitty goes wild
In a big, furry suit
But the tie-ins and toys
Should make Mike some loot.
The puns are so bad that
You might want to flee
But it might be your thing
If you have A.D.D.
The kids, they might like it,
Some may chortle, "Tee-hee."
The rest can stay home –
It's rated PG.
The good Doctor's verse
Has all but been slayed.
If you pay to get in
You should know you've been played
By this crude and repetitive serving of dreck.
You'd best tell the kids that
This Cat ain't no Shrek.
It's all art-directed
To the nth degree.
For enduring this mess
They should pay us a fee.
Alec Baldwin shows up
And hams it up bad.
It's supposed to be funny,
But it's really just sad
That an actor of Baldwin's
Considerable skills
Makes a fool of himself
Just to pay a few bills.
You can look long and hard
In search of a plot
But please be forewarned:
The writing is rot.
The Mom is now single,
To work she must go.
The script must be hip
And so modern,
You know.
It's fast and it's zany.
It casts a bright pall.
But that is not all.
Oh, no.
That is not all.
The colors are garish,
Non sequiturs fly.
The story goes nowhere.
Oh, why did they try
To mess with a classic
Adored far and wide?
By this cheap imitation
You must not abide.
What other Seuss works
Might next be attacked?
Is Green Eggs and Ham
On the desk of some hack?
Will Yertle the Turtle
Be the next one to fall?
These Hollywood types,
They sure have some gall.
At least it is short.
But oh, no, that's wrong!
Eighty-two minutes
Should not seem this long!
They stretched out the book,
They made it inane,
They larded it up,
Oh, how could they deign
To lead the Cat so far
Astray from its source?
If your eyes do stay open
It'll be by sheer force.
You'll look at your watch,
You'll twiddle your thumbs,
You might feel queasy,
You might need some Tums.
The book's charm is gone
And so is its grace.
This Cat in the Hat
Really stinks up the place.
This film should not be here.
It should not be about.
Nor would it exist
Without marketing clout.