The colourful characters and gentle wit of Dr Seuss (The Cat In The Hat, How The Grinch Stole Christmas) provide the creative spark for this animated comedy, which promotes the valuable message of equality for all creatures.

Or as the film eloquently puts it, "A person's a person, no matter how small."

Unfortunately, Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who! insists on tarnishing its sweet and simple message with myriad pop culture references.

Thus, the tuskless hero echoes Apocalypse Now when he declares "I love the smell of bananas in the morning", and a character impersonates Arnold Schwarzenegger to lament "I fear the democratic process is beginning to break down".

Who knew that the cartoon inhabitants of the jungle were so well versed in 20th century celebrity and affairs?

Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey) lives in the jungle with his animal chums, who all quake in fear at the mention of Roo (Carol Burnett), an officious kangaroo who enforces the laws of the land and pouch-schools her impressionable son, Rudy (Josh Flitter).

During a swim in the river, Horton is startled to hear voices emanating from a speck of dust lodged on a clover.

He soon discovers that the speck is actually the microscopic world of Who-ville, where the Mayor (Steve Carell) merrily goes about his business, juggling work responsibilities and caring for his 96 daughters and one son, Jo-Jo (Jesse McCartney).

Realising the fate of Who-ville depends on finding a safe resting place for the speck of dust, Horton embarks on a trek to the mountain that dominates the skyline.

When Roo learns that Horton is talking to a clover, she hires dastardly bird of prey Vlad Vladikoff (Will Arnett) to destroy the flower and bring the elephant back to his senses.

Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who! bursts with colourful visuals and fluffy critters, which should guarantee brisk sales of stuffed toys.

Yet, for all its aesthetic charms, Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino's film lacks well-sketched characters, genuine emotion and a constant stream of laughs.

The big set pieces - Horton traversing a rickety rope bridge and escaping Vlad's airborne attacks - fail to set our pulses racing, while Horton's search for his bloom in a field of clovers seems to be an apt metaphor for the film's desperate attempts to curry favour with parents and children alike.

  • See it at the ABC, Empire and Odeon