Everyone has heard of Dr. Seuss. His series of children’s rhyming books have become classics. Like any classic literary work, you knew that some of Seuss’s more popular works would be made into films sooner or later. First, there was How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and then there was The Cat in the Hat. Although both films were highly criticized, that didn’t stop Horton Hears a Who! from being made as a film. Would it be the first Dr. Seuss story to actually be praised by the majority of the movie audience out there, or would it be just another example of another Dr. Seuss story that doesn’t quite live up to the original work?
In Horton Hears a Who!, an elephant living in the jungle of Nool named Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey) comes across a “speck” that emits strange sounds only he can hear. Placing the “speck” on a clover, Horton begins to hear the voices of the “Whos,” the population that resides in the “speck”. Making contact with the Mayor of Whoville (Steve Carell), Horton is delighted to be placed in charge of protecting the “speck” and finding it a new home. Standing in his way is Kangaroo (Carol Burnett), who lacks faith that other forms of life could live beyond her perception, and mounts a great effort to stop Horton. Simultaneously, the Mayor has to deal with his new reality, while trying to keep the “Whos” alive as their world is jostled around during the relocation.
For the most part, Horton sticks to the original Dr. Seuss book almost all the way through. But if they went with just what the book gave them, this film would be a TV special and last 26 minutes. For this to a full-length film, they had to fill it with an extra hour of material. Thankfully, the majority of the additions fit right in with the original story and just give some added depth to the characters and story. There is, of course, some unnecessary pop culture laugh moments, but at least they are funny. The original moral of this story was “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” More moral messages make their way into this film, though, including commentaries on social justice, trustworthiness and loyalty to your friends, and the environment. So at times this film does feel a little too preachy, but it’s not enough to ruin the entire movie.
The voice cast for this film is quite large. At the top is Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell, as Horton and the Whoville Mayor respectively. Both of these actors can feel cartoonish at times, so casting them in these roles was actually a good choice. Fortunately for the audience, their performances are not as over-the-top as they could have been. Their silliness is used to maximum potential here. The supporting cast is largely great with Carol Burnett and Will Arnett leading the way. Some cast members like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jamie Pressly, and Jesse McCartney just seem out of place, and appear to only be a part of this film because they have “name” that people recognize. Overall, though, the cast of characters are brought to life brilliantly thanks to an above-average voice cast and animation.
Horton Hears a Who! is definitely the best film based on a Dr. Seuss book, but that’s really only a backhanded compliment. You can’t ignore the fact that this is a great-looking film. The same animation used in the Ice Age films was used here, and like Pixar, every film from Blue Sky Studios is a sizable step up in the animation department from the last one. At times, this film feels a little too preachy and a little too trendy. However, seeing as the writers had another 60 minutes to fill after faithfully adapting the book, this is to be expected a little. Luckily for everyone involved, the majority of the new additions to the story blend right in with the original story. The voice cast also only helps this film as well. In the end, Horton Hears a Who! is not only leaps and bounds better than previous Seuss efforts, but is also more than capable of competing with the best animated films from Pixar and DreamWorks in recent years.
The video is given in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen color, which is enhanced for 16:9 TV. The transfer looks incredible. The colors are vivid and the entire Dr. Seuss world is presented beautifully.
The audio included is available in either English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound, or French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. There are subtitles available in English, Spanish, and French as well. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear. Pretty standard for an animated film.
Audio Commentary – There is a full-length with directors, Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino. For this being a directors’ commentary, it is surprisingly both entertaining and insightful. Definitely worth a listen, despite no cast being involved.
“Surviving Sid” Animated Short – This is a new 8 minute animated short featuring Ice Age’s Sid the sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo). This cartoon follows his exploits as he leads a group of disillusioned children on a camping trip. It’s decent overall, but nothing you “must-watch”. Pretty forgettable, actually.
Deleted Footage – This totals 18 minutes. There is an introduction from the directors about the footage that didn’t make it into the film. This is split into three categories: “Storyboard Versions”, “Rough Animation Versions”, and “Almost-Final Versions”. There are 13 deleted sequences total. Hayward and Martino also offer commentary on all of them, explaining why they were removed. They are there if you want to see them.
Animation Screen Tests – This totals 7 minutes. Animator Nick Bruno gives an introduction to these screen tests. Then, we see 23 clips of “Horton”, the “Whoville Mayor”, and the “Whos”. We see how they were conceptualized, and how their CG structures were tested out before the crew got started. Fairly interesting.
“Bringing the Characters to Life” Featurette – Runs 5 minutes and it’s a general “making-of” featurette. The filmmakers offer their thoughts on the cast and the story in general. The animation staff also talks about how they worked with their own reference videos to figure out how the “actors” move. Too short to accomplish anything meaningful, though.
“That’s One Big Elephant: Animating Horton” Featurette – This runs 8 minutes and the crew discusses the challenges faced in animating a caricatured elephant in CG. Another intriguing featurette.
“Meet Katie” Featurette – This runs 4 minutes and it focuses on the furry little yak in the film named Katie. The creators talk about the development of the character from a background drawing to full-fledged cult hero. More insight on this character, if you want to know more.
“Bringing Seuss to the Screen” Featurette – This runs 8 minutes and comparisons are made between the book and the film both from a story perspective and from a visual one. They explain in here how the filmmakers took the original book, drew in scenes representing their added material in the style of Dr. Seuss, and presented it to his widow as proof of how seamless their extended adaptation would be. Definitely the best featurette here and worth a watch for sure.
“The Elephant in the Room: Jim Carrey” Featurette – This runs 5 minutes and it’s all about Jim Carrey. There is “behind-the-scenes” footage shown of Carrey performing in the sound booth, and this is intercut with comments from him and others about his approach to the character. More insightful than you would think.
“A Person is a Person: A Universal Message” Featurette – This runs 4 minutes and it has the cast and crew telling you their opinions on the story’s moral of “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” Some are not so serious, but for the most part these seem to be honest opinions from the cast. Nothing too special, but a little fun to watch.
“Our Speck: Where Do We Fit In?” Featurette – This runs 4 minutes and it’s a “Go Green” kind of infomercial hosted by children. They encourage viewers to do things like recycling and turning off the faucets and lights when not being used. It’s a good message, but it feels a little too preachy.
“Elephant Fun: The Facts” Featurette – This runs 5 minutes and it’s hosted by elephant expert Hayden Rosenaur. We see him interacting with live elephants as he explains their behavior and habits. Lots of fun facts about elephants for kids.
“We Are Here!” Game – This is a kid-friendly game, which has the player helping Whoville make some noise in order to get them heard. One must choose instruments in the right order after they’ve been played. Should be fun for kids, but you get no reward at the end so not worth doing for adults.
Hardcore Dr. Seuss fans will probably never like a big-screen adaptation of one of his books, but this one is at least watchable for them. Casual Seuss fans, and animation fans in general, will certainly enjoy this film without any major issues. This is an animated film that can entertain both adults and kids, so it’s at least quality family viewing.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment presents Horton Hears a Who!. Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino. Starring Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler, Isla Fisher, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jaime Pressly, Charles Osgood, Josh Flitter, Niecy Nash, and Jesse McCartney. Written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul. Running time: 88 minutes. Rated G. Released on DVD: December 9, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
