After taking a look at the recent animated films of The Lorax (2012) and The Grinch (2018), it only made sense to jump back to 2008 and rewatch the animation Dr Seuss adaptation that preceded them both: Horton Hears a Who! While The Grinch was amiable but underwhelming, and The Lorax a complete travesty, Horton Hears a Who! continues to stand well above either of the others. Charming, smartly written, and hugely funny, it is not just the best of the Dr Seuss adaptations but one of the best animated features of its year. Given that year included the likes of Ponyo, Wall-E, and Waltz with Bashir, that is no small achievement.

In the jungle of Nool, the amiable elephant Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey) discovers a speck of dust resting on a flower that is populated by an entire community of microscopic Whos. While Horton fights to keep the speck safe from disbelievers, the Whos’ elected leader Ned McDodd (Steve Carell) struggles to convince his community of the imminent crisis.

Extrapolating smartly from Seuss’ book, Horton Hears a Who! presents a story rich in themes of faith, honesty, climate change, and politics. It presents those themes in two contexts at the same time. In one, Horton races to find a safe resting place for his speck before it can be destroyed by an uncompromising busybody kangaroo (Carol Burnett) and her followers. In the other, Ned fruitlessly struggles to convince the townsfolk of Whoville that something has gone terribly, catastrophically wrong to their environment. The stories are linked by the two protagonists, who can communicate with one another but never actually see each other face-to-face.

It was executive Chris Meledandri who ran 20th Century Fox’s animation division when Horton Hears a Who! entered production, and it is Meledandri that the Seuss estate followed to make The Lorax and The Grinch. It is a shame that some of the talented that produced this exceptional piece of work did not follow along with them.

The visual design is top-notch, and translates the aesthetic of Dr Seuss’ works wonderfully to computer-generated animation. At the same time, the film manages to be faithful without being slavish. It finds room for the animators – and directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino – to insert their own style and humour. It gives a broad latitude for both Jim Carrey and Steve Carell to infuse their characters with their own typical comedic styles. The supporting cast, which includes Amy Poehler, Seth Rogen, and an outstanding Carol Burnett, is excellent across the whole work.

There is such an excellent sense of balance across the entire film. It is irreverent where it needs to be, but faithful to the original work in all of the aspects that count. Some scenes are brilliantly funny, while a serious dramatic narrative underlines all of the hijinks. It appeals to both children and adults in equal measure, without short-changing either audience.