Horton Hears A Who DVD Review

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (1970) is the animated version of the famous children’s book by the same name. Horton is an elephant who, while minding his own business, manages to hear a small voice coming from a speck of dust. Horton states “a person is a person no matter how small” and rescues the dust speck from certain peril by placing it on a flower.

Horton discovers that located on that tiny speck of dust is an entire civilization, the planet of Who. Horton begins talking to the resident scientist, Dr. Hoovey. Horton falls under criticism by Jane the Sour Kangaroo and her child because it appears as if Horton is talking to a speck of dust. Jane the Sour Kangaroo begins to start a ripple effect of gossip that quickly works its way across jungle, rendering Horton an outcast.

As the pair continues to talk to each other, Horton discovers that Dr. Hoovey, much like him, has become an outcast due to his belief in another world.

Horton faces great persecution as his fellow jungle creatures take it upon themselves to rid him of his dust speck, placing the people of Whoville in grave danger. Horton is caged up and the jungle creatures are about to be boiled in diesel fuel, when the Whoville townspeople finally manage to make themselves heard.

Also included on the disc are three more short films made for television including the Butter Battle Book, Daisy-Head Mayzie and Horton Hatches the Egg!

The Butter Battle Book finds two cultures divided by a great wall. They are at a stand-off with each other due solely to a disagreement about which side is the correct side to put butter on their bread. The Yooks eat their bread butter side up, while the Zooks eat their bread butter side down. The conflict begins to escalate as both sides build up their armaments until each side eventually comes up with the “Bitsy Big-Boy Boomeroo,” whose strength is similar to a nuclear warhead. The leaders of each side meet on the wall where they wait poised to drop their weapon. The Butter Battle Book is both anti-war manifesto and a satire about the Cold War Era.

Horton Hatches the Egg finds Horton the elephant once again in trouble when he agrees to sit on egg for the irresponsible Mayzie. Despite a lot of ridicule over the ridiculousness of an elephant sitting in a tree, Horton is not swayed. He simply relies, “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant, an elephant’s faithful one-hundred percent.” Horton is captured and put in a circus, but still he remains steadfast. Eventually the egg hatches, revealing a hybrid between Mayzie and Horton. Mayzie stakes her claim but the new creature chooses Horton.

Lastly, Daisy-Head Mayzie is about a little girl who one day finds that she has sprouted a daisy flower from her head. She is made fun of and ridiculed mercilessly by her classmates that is until an agent discovers her. He quickly makes her into a huge star, softening Mayzie’s problems.

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! is a must own for any fan of the Dr. Seuss stories. Included on the DVD are some of his most memorable and important stories as they teach responsibility, equality, and the importance of a peaceful resolution. The animation and songs truly make the books come to life be it while Horton is chased by the Wickersham brothers or the chants of poor Daisy-Head Mayzie’s classmates.

Each of the four episodes is presented in full-frame and in stereo sound. Special features include the documentary, In Search of Dr. Seuss and a sing along music video You Can Hear Horton, Horton Can Hear You!