Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Blu-ray Movie Review

See and hear Horton and the Whos in high definition on this marvelous Blu-ray disc.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 11, 2008

Horton is a giant elephant in the sky!

Horton Hears a Who!, adapted from the Dr. Seuss children's story of the same name and now brought to life through the wonders of computer generated imagery, tells the story of an elephant who discovers, befriends, and defends the tiniest of creatures. Built around the principle that "a person's a person, no matter how small," the story, and the film, takes on issues of faith, trust, and friendship. It is the story of never giving in to peer pressure and remaining steadfast in what one knows to be true as both of the film's primary characters struggle with the fact that their own cannot, or in some cases will not, accept their seemingly impossible discoveries. Through its many positives, the film simply cannot shake that "been there, done that" feel. Make no mistake, Horton Hears a Who! does indeed mark the first feature-length cinematic adaptation of the Seuss tale, but it cannot escape the doldrums of the influx of computer-animated films of the past several years.

Horton sees the Who Horton heard. Do you see the Who Horton heard?

Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey, The Mask), is a resident of the jungle of Nool and the local teacher who isn't all that bright and, worst of all, not respected by some of the other jungle residents, particularly Kangaroo (voiced by Carol Burnett). One day, Horton hears a sound that seems to emanate from a tiny speck floating past him. The elephant chases after it in hopes of confirming his suspicion, and indeed, he comes to realize that a miniature universe exists on the speck, inhabited by a civilization that resides in a thriving city called Whoville. Horton's only contact is the Mayor of Whoville (voiced by Steve Carell, Get Smart), and once they discover the most efficient means of communicating, they realize that Whoville, a town that has never seen a problem in its 100-year history, will be in constant danger unless Horton can find a suitable home for the speck somewhere in his jungle that seems to breed danger for such an insignificant speck at every turn. Finally discovering a suitable, yet distant, resting spot for the speck, Horton sets out to preserve Whoville while dodging his own enemies along the way. It will only be through perseverance, strength of character, and plenty of laughs in the face of adversity that, just maybe, Horton and the Mayor will overcome their hardships and prove, once and for all, that they are not crazy.

With underlying themes that focus on the importance of faith and self-assuredness even in the face of incessant doubt and ridicule, Horton Hears a Who! is a film that will both entertain and enlighten children. Certainly the idea on the importance of faith, on things that may be heard, felt, or understood, but not necessarily seen, plays the key factor in the progression of the story. Such matters are, at first, only looked upon negatively by the inhabitants of both Horton's and the Mayor's worlds; Kangaroo goes so far as to proclaim Horton's activities with the speck as a negative, suggesting that his actions have opened the minds of his students and engendering in them a sense of imagination, an action, and a result, labeled by her as "sick." Likewise, the Mayor of Whoville is seen as loony, going to great lengths to caution against what may be difficult times ahead, based on his understanding and acceptance of "a giant elephant in the sky." Both face ridicule for their acceptance of things unseen, and the film thrives on the message that steadfastness and courage are two character traits that are bigger than any one individual, no matter their physical size.

Perhaps the single largest drawback to the film lies with the vanilla characters that inhabit it. Horton in particular is far from memorable; his is a rather bland and unimaginative character, the prototypical "doofus hero" that so often populates CGI-based fare. A well-meaning, sincere individual at heart, Horton nevertheless feels like a wholly interchangeable character, bringing nothing unique to the table. His antics seem stale, his dialogue sounds like a mishmash of other animated characters, and his physical behavior and facial expressions play as very standard fare for a movie of this sort. The Mayor comes off as somewhat more entertaining and original, though it is his son, JoJo, that steals the scenes in which he appears and provides for the film its most memorable scenes, particularly in spite of the film's predictable yet nevertheless charming finale. Astute audiences will see the ending coming from the first time JoJo is introduced, but both the ending and the character's involvement is captured in such a way as to make the predictability of it almost forgivable in light of the heartfelt honesty of the film's conclusion. Of course, any criticism of a film such as Horton Hears a Who! is to be taken in the context of the theme and target audience of the film; much like Space Chimps, Horton has its flaws but is a success when taken as it was meant to be and seen through the eyes of those most inclined to give it a watch. The movie is definitely watchable; more mature audiences simply may find less to enjoy here than they would in animated films that play better across a broad spectrum of moviegoers, like Pixar's Wall●E.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Horton Hears a Who! floats onto Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. This is an excellent image with great color and clarity. The all-digital transfer never misses a beat in reproducing the finest of details, conveying a sharp, pristine, and colorful image that brings the film to life. There is always a solid sense of depth and texture to the image, and while the movie doesn't have the same vibrancy and intricate detail as the Pixar films, it nevertheless looks great and younger audiences will absolutely adore the clean, crisp, and easy-on-the-eyes imagery that graces the 1080p display. The transfer truly shines in bringing the fine detail of Whoville, in particular, to life, and it is there that the digital artists went to town, so to speak, in creating a vivid world that is intricately detailed and exciting to look at on this marvelous Blu-ray release.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As expected, Horton Hears a Who! comes to Blu-ray with a high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Surprisingly robust and powerful, bass rumbles on more than one occasion with tremendous presence and authority. The soundstage is also often filled with wholesome goodness, never too loud at reference levels but certainly fulfilling and engaging at practically every turn. The surrounds are used naturally throughout, both in support of the main content but also featuring plenty of discrete effects. Sound effortlessly maneuvers around the soundstage in chapter 11 in a 360-degree sequence as Horton's voice travels around the listening area. Dialogue reproduction is strong and focused, always at an appropriate volume with the rest of the soundtrack. This mix won't test the limits of any sound system, but is recreates the thuds, nuances, and everything in between of the animated worlds of Nool and Whoville with vigor and vitality.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Horton Hears a Who! comes to Blu-ray with plenty of special features fans will enjoy. First up is a well-paced commentary track featuring directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino. The directors discuss their intended look and feel for the film, artistic decisions that went into the framing of various shots, some of the inside jokes in the film, and more. The track is more for older audiences rather than the youngest fans. Watch 'Horton Hears a Who!' With a Who is an interactive picture-in-picture (Blu-ray profile 1.1-only) track with one of the film's heroes, JoJo. He'll pop up from time to time to watch the film, and occasionally ask for help from the audience in the form of button-pushing on the remote. Some Deleted Footage is next. Viewers may choose to first watch an introduction from the directors (1080i, 0:25) before viewing the scenes in storyboard versions (480p, 14:50), rough animated versions (480p, 2:39), and almost-final versions (480p, 1:09), all with optional director's commentary. Animation Screen Tests begins with an introduction with animator Nick Bruno (480p, 0:43) and are available for three characters: Horton (480p, 2:49), Mayor (480p, 3:47), and Whos (480p, 0:23). Bringing the Characters to Life (1080i, 5:29) looks at the contributions of the voice actors and animation artists to the picture.

The Elephant in the Room: Jim Carrey (1080i, 4:52) looks at the comedian's contributions to the film. That's One Big Elephant: Animating Horton (1080i, 8:08) takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the creation of the film's CGI hero. Meet Katie (1080i, 3:49) looks at the genesis of this character. Our Speck: Where Do We Fit In? (1080i, 4:01) is a kid-centric description of an ecosystem. Elephant Fun: The Facts (1080i, 5:28) examines the lives of real elephants. A Person is a Person: A Universal Message (1080i, 3:42) features cast and crew sharing their thoughts on the film's primary theme. Bringing Seuss to Screen (1080i, 8:14) take a closer look at the challenges of bringing a Dr. Seuss story to the big screen. We Are Here! is an interactive game where players must mimic the sequence of instruments played during each stage of the game. Also available are 1080p trailers for City of Ember and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in Digital 3-D. Concluding the features on disc one is the new Ice Age-inspired animated short, Surviving Sid (1080p, 7:59). Disc two of this set contains a digital copy of the film for playback on personal computers and select portable video devices. Played on a second generation iPod touch, the image quality is perfectly acceptable, with good color reproduction and intact fine details. The audio is also impressive with good separation between the two channels and crisp and clean dialogue.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Horton Hears a Who! is entertaining family fare that should leave the children excited and the adults in the audience satisfied enough. The film espouses messages on the importance of faith and trust in a tidy package that never offend the sensibilities, though there is a certain redundancy to the characters, particularly Horton, that gives it a fairly unoriginal flair. Nevertheless, laughs are aplenty and the film's target audience will enjoy this one enough to make it a permanent addition to any Blu-ray library with a dedicated children's section. 20th Century Fox has once again released a quality product, this one with pristine picture and sound quality and a heaping helping of extra materials. While the disc doesn't lend itself all that well to a purchase solely as demonstration material, particularly with other animated fare like Kung Fu Panda and Cars offering slicker animation and better stories, Horton Hears a Who! is nevertheless top-quality Blu-ray material, and fans, both young and old, should be pleased with this disc that makes any home theater and Blu-ray library sparkle.