As animation increases in popular (and box office) appeal there’s one thing that’s become a safe-bet practice for the creative minds behind-the-scenes: hire a popular comedian to provide the voice of a central character.
Most stand-up comics are so manic they're practically animated anyway, and they can be counted on to offer humor that flies over the heads of younger viewers while getting adults to laugh just as much, and sometimes more, than they would in a live action comedy. That helps the films appeal to viewers well beyond their grade-school years, whether they have kids of their own or not.
This weekend's
"Horton Hears a Who," a CGI-animated romp based on Dr. Seuss' classic parable about listening to even the earth's smallest creatures, has a cast packed with comedians—including Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett and Amy Poehler.
Of course just hiring a big name doesn’t always lead to big laughs. Quite a few recent vocal performances have been little more than stale, desperate retreads of past glories.
Before we see which end of the spectrum the "Horton" cast falls into,
take a look at our picks for the five best and the five worst performances by stand-up comedians in animated films.
