The Cat in the Hat (film) film one star, stating, ""Cat", another overblown Hollywood raid on Dr. Seuss, has a draw on Mike Myers, who inexplicably plays the Cat by mimicking Bert Lahr in "The Wizard of Oz"." Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film 2 out of 4 stars. Although he praised the production design, he considered the film to be "all effects and stunts and CGI and prosthetics, with no room for lightness and joy". Ebert and co-host Richard Roeper gave the film "Two Thumbs Down". Roeper said of Myers' performance that "Maybe a part of him was realizing as the movie
The Cat in the Hat going to have the exciting experience of learning that they "can" read after all." Polly Goodwin of the "Chicago Sunday Tribune" predicted that "The Cat in the Hat" would cause seven- and eight-year-olds to "look with distinct distaste on the drab adventures of standard primer characters". Both Helen E. Walker of "Library Journal" and Emily Maxwell of "The New Yorker" felt that the book would appeal to older children as well as to its target audience of first- and second-graders. The reviewer for "The Bookmark" concurred, writing, "Recommended enthusiastically as a picture book as well as a reader". In contrast,