7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Cat in the Hat serves up three timeless tales from Dr. Seuss. First item on the menu is a yarn about those wacky snooty snobs, The Sneetches. They learn a valuable and expensive lesson about themselves that everyone can benefit from. Next up is the sad but humorous saga of The Zax, two of them specifically, who wind up paying the ultimate toll for their silly stubbornness. Last but not least we are pursued and pestered by Sam I Am as he beseeches us to try Green Eggs and Ham!
Starring: Allan Sherman (I), Hans Conried, Paul Winchell, Bob HoltAnimation | 100% |
Family | 96% |
Musical | 42% |
Short | 26% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Three classic Dr. Seuss books, three classic stories, and a host of classic characters. How could Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories not be as essential a purchase as the 1966 television adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Filler, filler, filler... that's how. On the printed page, "The Sneetches," "The Zax" and family-favorite "Green Eggs and Ham" are indispensable, unforgettable and, above all, great fun. As envisioned by animation house DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, director Hawley Pratt and composer Dean Elliott in 1973, though? Alas, too much of that patented Theodor Geisel magic is lost in sing-songy translation. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Seuss On the Loose isn't a blasphemous travesty by any means. It's quite faithful to Seuss' original stories and still has the ability to mesmerize young kids. But compared to Chuck Jones' How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who (1970), and even DFE's The Lorax (1972), this 25-minute three-decker doesn't stack up.
Dr. Seuss On the Loose shows its age; all thirty-nine years of it. Print blemishes abound, telecine wobble is present, and every broadcast budgetary constraint is more visible than ever. But that shouldn't frighten anyone away. Like previously released animated Seuss specials, Warner has treated this one with a surprising amount of tender, loving care. Colors have been rejuvenated, black levels are rich and inky, and grain and every last hand-drawn imperfection is intact and on display. Detail is terrific, rendering each brushstroke, fine line, and flick of the pen with ease. To top it all off, artifacting, banding and other unsightly oddities don't show up and spoil the proceedings. "The Sneetches," "The Zax" and "Green Eggs and Ham" may not look as if they were animated yesterday, but short of a cost-prohibitive, frame by frame restoration of the original elements, I doubt DFE's 1973 animated television special could look much better than it does here.
Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories features a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that, barring the obvious single-channel source limitations, doesn't disappoint. Never mind the fact that every voice sounds as if it was captured in a recording booth in 1973 -- Surprise! It was. -- the special's narration, vocal performances and song lyrics are clean and clear, without much in the way of hiss or air noise. Elliott's music is given plenty of room to breathe too, mono mix or no, and none of the audio elements compete with each other. Don't lament the lack of LFE support or rear speaker activity either. Would it really elevate the experience? Would a 5.1 remix offer anything substantial? Not without undermining the original sound design. For all intents and purposes, "The Sneetches," "The Zax" and "Green Eggs and Ham" sound quite good. Again, none of it sounds as if it were produced recently, but for a 1973 television special, there's little to complain about.
Four interactive puzzles are included for the kiddies: two for "Green Eggs and Ham," one for "The Sneetches," and one for "The Zax." The mechanics are extremely simplistic -- match puzzles pieces to their place on a nearby puzzle board -- as are the six-piece puzzles themselves. Children are rewarded with a short clip from the corresponding story upon completion.
Three classic Dr. Seuss stories, three not-so-classic animated shorts wrapped in a not-so-classic triple-decker DFE-produced television special. Dr. Seuss On the Loose -- dubbed Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories by the powers that be at Warner -- isn't bad, it just isn't as pitch-perfect as it could have been had someone asked Elliott to tone down the quick-hit musical numbers. That said, Warner's Blu-ray release will please Seuss completists and kids of all ages with its faithfully remastered video presentation and DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track. The extras are extraneous, sure, but a shrug of the shoulders should fix that. If you love all things Dr. Seuss, add this one to your collection. If you have yet to pick up How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (or Horton Hears a Who! and The Lorax), start there first.
Dr. Seuss's Deluxe Edition: The Cat in the Hat [1971] / The Hoober-Bloob Highway [1975] / Daisy-Head Mayzie [1995]
1971
Deluxe Edition
1972
1970
1974
1992
1999
1984-2006
The Ultimate Edition | + Halloween Is Grinch Night / The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
1966
Los Tres Caballeros
1944
1948
Diamond Edition
1955
1946
1999
1975
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2009
1981
1995
1976
1983
2004