Official Synopsis:
The Original TV Classic Newly Remastered and Ever Delightful: The Award-Winning Animated Fable from Dr. Seuss and Chuck Jones. Dr. Seuss' classic of a jungle elephant named Horton teaches us what it means to be a true friend. Hearing a faint cry for help from a floating speck of dust, Horton finds a tiny planet of Whos living there. Though he can't see them, he hears them for sure - and puts his safety on the line for microscopic inhabitants. Thanks to Dr. Who-Vee and Horton, Whoville is saved and a lasting friendship is created. Dr. Seuss and animation giant Chuck Jones reteamed after How the Grinch Stole Christmas on this enchanting Peabody Award winner with a message bridging generations: "A person is a person, no matter how small". Through its characters, charming songs and tongue-twisting verse, Horton looms large as a family-viewing treasure.

  
Our Take:
On one hand, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who: Deluxe Collection screams of movie tie-in desperation. After all, it was released just three days before the big-screen live-action Horton adaptation was released in theaters in an obvious attempt to capitalize on the free publicity. On the other hand, it’s a pretty great DVD, so I guess I can excuse its rampant make-a-buck-ism.

The original animated Horton adventure was directed by Chuck Jones, who not only brought The Grinch to life but is also an animation legend in his own right, so you know that this is a quality cartoon. I’ve never found Horton’s story to be one of Dr. Seuss’s best works, but this is a fairly charming, fun little outing. I mean, really, is there such a thing as a bad Dr. Seuss book?

To combat the fact that the Horton cartoon is less than half an hour in length, Warner has loaded this new DVD edition of Horton Hears A Who with bonus features, including value-adding additional cartoons. The real gem, though, is the included documentary, which is longer than the actual cartoons on the disc. Here’s the full breakdown:

- Three Dr. Seuss Animated Stories - Dr. Seuss' Butter Battle Book, Daisy-Head Mayzie and Horton Hatches the Egg!
- In Search of Dr. Seuss (90 minutes) – A multiple-Emmy-nominated documentary in which various notable stars appear as Dr. Seuss characters to help host Kathy Najimy learn more about the man. This could have been sold as its own DVD, so it’s very cool to get it as a bonus feature.
- Singalong Music Video - You Can Hear Horton, Horton Can Hear You!

Dr. Seuss fans will want to pick up this disc for the In Search of Dr. Seuss documentary alone, which for my money is the real star of the collection. With a running time of over two-hours total, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who: Deluxe Collection is one of the few double dips that lives up to its “Deluxe Edition” moniker.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: B
DVD: A

- Mike Spring
Editor