The Cat in the Hat (2026) reviews

The Fuzzy Mushroom take on The Cat in the Hat

By Fuzzy Mushroom · Updated 12 November 2026 · The Pros 51 · The Punters 71 · Spore Score 58 · How we write our takes

Why The Punters rate it higher than The Pros

The Cat in the Hat splits critics and families clearly. The Punters give it 71, The Pros only 51, and the Spore Score is 58, with a fuzzy tag. A gap of 20 points usually means a film works for the people it was made for, here children and their parents, even when reviewers have reservations. Critics enjoyed the animation and the voice cast, but many felt the story was overstuffed and the pace too frantic for a picture-book adaptation. Families watching it on a weekend seem far less bothered.

What it is

This is the first full-length film from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 book. Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni directed it from their own screenplay. Bill Hader voices the Cat, who works for an agency devoted to imagination and is sent to cheer up Gabby and Sebastian, a brother and sister struggling with a move to a new town. The voice cast includes Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, Giancarlo Esposito and America Ferrera. It opened in early November 2026.

What it does well

Hader is a smart choice for the Cat, mischievous but warm, and the film looks bright and inventive. Rather than stretch a very short book to feature length, it sends the Cat on a new adventure, which gives the animators room to play. Children get plenty of slapstick, and there are enough jokes aimed over their heads to keep adults awake.

Where The Pros have a point

The film has a lot going on. New characters, a workplace plot and a busy chase leave less room for the simple, rhyming fun of the original book. It also runs close to an hour and three quarters, which is long for younger children.

How it compares

It is a clear step up from the 2003 live-action version with Mike Myers, which has one of the lowest Spore Scores of any family film on Fuzzy Mushroom.

Who it is for

Families with children from about five to ten. If you are going without kids, lower your expectations.

The Fuzzy Mushroom verdict

Hit and miss, with a Spore Score of 58. Noisy and overstuffed for critics, but children and parents are having a good time. The Punters are the better guide here.