DVD
REVIEW: HORTON HEARS A WHO!
2 Disc Special Edition

12/16/08

Based on the 1954 book of the
same name "Horton Hears a Who!" by Dr Seuss has been
directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino with a
screenplay by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul. "Horton Hears a
Who!" has all the ingredients of a great adaptation with the
heart and beauty that only Dr Seuss can give to all of his
characters and stories. An instant classic that opens the
door to more Dr Seuss CGI animation films to come.
The film tells the story of an elephant named Horton (Jim
Carey), who one morning hears a cry coming from a tiny dust
speck floating through the air. Stunned by the cry that he
hears, Horton soon discovers that the cries belong to
microscopic whos who live in the speck in a city called who-ville.
But in his attempt to help the people of Who-ville find a
safe place for the speck, Horton will have to go against his
neighbors who think that he has lost his mind.
The presentation of the film is full of vivid colors that
absorbs the mind of the audience in to the world of Dr.
Seuss like never before. The sound is superb complementing
the magic of the animation. First time director Jimmy
Hayward, who was part of the animation team behind Toy
Story, Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo, and Steve Martino could
not have chosen a better screenplay adaptation to direct.
The selection of Jim Carey's voice to give life to Horton's
was just perfect. The same can be said about Steve Carell
for the voice of the Mayor of Who-ville. Aside from the
voice selection which was right on the money, a lot of the
credit has to go to Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul that in their
adaptation of the book decided to keep Dr. Seuss' essence by
maintaining the innocent humor, the human message and
avoiding falling in the modern adult humor that is always
repeated in this type of film in recent years.
DVD: The 2 Disc Special Edition
includes a digital copy and many little features that take viewers beyond the making of this
great film,
especially in the animation process. Interesting
features like "Deleted Footage and Animation Screen Tests",
"That’s One Big Elephant" and "Bringing the
Characters to Life" , in which animators and directors talk
about the ideas for film, provide an good background as
to how animated films are made. The DVD includes a new
"Ice Age short", based on Sid and Scrat characters.
There are also a couple of features for the kids;
"Elephant Fun" is a short documentary in which kids get
the opportunity to learn some facts about Elephants. And
"We Are Here!", a memory game in which kids get to play
with patterns in order to save Whoville. Overall this 2
Disc Special Edition includes plenty of interesting and
fun special features to be recommended. Full DVD details
are listed below.
VIDEO:
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
AUDIO:
English,
Spanish and French
5.1 (Dolby Digital).
Subtitles - English Spanish
French - Optional
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Directors’ Audio
Commentary w/ Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino
Ice Age short
“Surviving Sid” All-new animated short focusing on
the Ice Age characters Sid and Scrat. (8:00)
Deleted Footage and Animation Screen Tests (w/
Introductions and optional audio commentaries by the
directors) A total of 11 deleted scenes all in rough
animation format. The Animation Screen Test commentary is
very interesting as Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino talk
about the animation process.
That’s One Big
Elephant: Animating Horton In an animation-focused
featurette, learn how Blue Sky brought Horton to life.
(8:08)
Bringing the
Characters to Life Watch the animators’ hilarious
initial performances recorded as a reference to assist in
animating the film. (5:29)
Meet Katie
Discover how the character “Katie” was developed by Blue Sky
(3:47)
Elephant Fun:
The Facts Fun and informative featurette about elephants.
(5:25)
Our Speck:
Where Do We Fit In? Using interviews with everyday kids,
we’ll learn how even small actions can help make the world a
better place. (4:00)
A Person Is a Person:
A Universal Message (3:42)
Featuring interviews
w/ cast and crew, we will take a closer look at the
characters, the story and interpret the meanings of Horton
Hears a Who!
Bringing Seuss to
Screen Learn how Hayward and Martino maintained the
authentic look and feel of Dr. Seuss’ world. (8:14)
The Elephant in the
Room: Jim Carrey Profile on Jim Carrey voicing
Horton (4:54)
We Are Here!
Game Memory game in which you have to repeat the correct
pattern of Who-noises.
Digital Copy
RATING BREAK DOWN:
FILM REVIEW |
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VIDEO |
 |
AUDIO |
 |
BONUS
FEATURES |
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