Product Details

• Actors: Horton Hears a Who!
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (175 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001DVBZ4K
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,029 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Horton Hears a Who! (Amazon.com Exclusive DVD Gift Set with Plush and Audio Storybook CD)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Dr. Seuss's classic 1954 book Horton Hears a Who has entertained generations of children and served as the inspiration for a 26-minute, 1970 television special Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who and the 2000 Broadway musical Seussical: The Musical. This 2008, full-length animated movie features the voice talents of Jim Carrey as Horton, Steve Carrell as the Mayor of Whoville, Carol Burnett as the Kangaroo, and Jesse McCartney as JoJo and promises to delight a whole new generation of children and their parents and grandparents. The technological wonders of computer animation have allowed 20th Century Fox Animation to bring to life the wacky, colorful Whoville with its minute inhabitants and the lush Jungle of Nool with its host of distinctive animals and the result is a rich, fantastical world of wonder worthy of Dr. Seuss' own imagination. All the major plot elements of Dr. Seuss' book are present, with Horton hearing the faint cry for help from a tiny dust speck atop a small clover and doing his best to protect the inhabitants of that small civilization of Whoville despite the disbelief, disdain, and persecution of his fellow animals. The feel of Dr. Seuss' original rhyming prose is partially preserved in the sparse narration by Charles Osgood that's interspersed throughout the film's dialogue and the overarching themes of staying true to one's convictions and the celebration of the power of perseverance, imagination, and kindness come through loud and clear. Horton Hears a Who is a fun rendering of a classic Dr. Seuss story that's sure to entertain viewers of all ages. --Tami Horiuchi

Beyond Horton Hears a Who ! on DVD

Nim’s Island on DVD

Alvin and the Chipmunks on DVD

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium on DVD

Stills from Horton Hears a Who! (Click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review in rhyme, June 24, 2010

By 

Jillian Kimberlin (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Horton Hears a Who (Single-Disc Edition) (DVD)

When I first read this book,
I was just a tot. So,
I decided to see the movie -
And I liked it quite a lot!

I'll try to keep this short,
but I can't make promises here.
The movie is too great,
your children should not fear.

I know this book;
I can tell you the tale,
and here is that story,
in some minor detail:

The mayor gathers everyone
in town square
But Horton can't tell them -
he's really there.
All of the Who's and Who-ville
are unlike you and me,
They are people whom
we cannot see.

Of course, no one believes Horton,
which is sad -
the Kangaroo is making sure
that it will all go bad,
the animals rally around the kangaroo,
and they would say,
"We don't want Horton in the forest,
at all, to stay."

Horton's an elephant,
living in what we call "our world".
In the jungle of Nool there are animals,
young and old.
Who-Ville is on a flower,
and in it are all the Who.
No one can hear them but Horton,
but still, could you?

A great story, of course,
and as bad it is to say,
such examples of Kangaroos
can be found today.

I love this quote,
when Horton is about to fall,
He shouts, "A person's a person,
no matter how small!".

You should go see this movie,
I'm not afraid to tell,
the acting is great, the animation
is flawless, as well.
I won't ruin the movie,
but let me quote you this now,
although it's not in the book,
it sums up my review; how?

"I meant what I said,
and I said what I meant.
An elephant's faithful,
one hundred percent!"

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I hear you loud and clear..., December 27, 2010

By 

Andrew Ellington (I'm kind of everywhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Horton Hears a Who (Single-Disc Edition) (DVD)

Dr. Seuss is like a childhood staple, and it is so wonderful to see the everlasting presence he has on literature, even today. With my unending love for the writer, I'm actually shocked it took me this long to actually see `Horton Hears a Who' but I finally did and I must say that I absolutely loved it.

The film follows the tale of an Elephant named Horton who is a beloved teacher in his jungle town. When he hears a high pitched cry for help on a tiny speck floating in mid-air, he risks his life and reputation to save it. His former friends and neighbors, spurred on by Kangaroo, turn on him and label him a risk to the values of their community. If you can't see it or hear it then it must not be real. Alas, Horton is an elephant, and elephants are faithful 100%, so he presses on in his determination to find that speck a safe home. It's a good thing too, since on that tiny little speck there is an entire world of Who's, tiny people living in a world where nothing bad ever happens. The Mayor of Whoville joins forces with Horton to save his people from destruction at the hands of the mean spirited Kangaroo.

Speaking volumes about acceptance, perseverance and the power of kindness, this wonderful film captures the heart and soul of Seuss and makes it perfectly accessible to your little ones. The films themes can be taken a few different ways (depending on your personal stance), which is quite possibly the point, but the obvious moral here is one that is universally understood.

I loved the animation choices; with rich, lush backdrops elaborating the worlds created here, and I really loved the inserts of Anime inspired segments and even classic Disney'ish moments that add splashes of color and excitement.

The narration is also splendid and adds a poetic essence to the film.

I really commend this film for `going there' without forgetting their key audience. This is an animated film FOR CHILDREN and it remembers that while crafting the sequences of peril. While there are moments of tension, nothing is so extreme that children will lose themselves in fear. As much as I love and adore `Toy Story 3' and many other animated films as of late, it seems all too common to forget that young kids are easily shaken. `Horton Hears a Who' understands the importance of maintaining a certain level of innocence; so when Kangaroo bows her head in shame and then, when prompted, returns a kind deed with another, you can sit back and feel content that this film not only entertained your kids, but it taught them a valuable lesson as well (without giving them nightmares).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful movie but suffers from voice miscasting, January 17, 2010

By 

John C. Graves "By Definition" (Winnetka, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Horton Hears a Who! [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

In Horton Hears a Who, the designy world of Dr. Seuss is translated brilliantly into a 3D animated movie. Whoville is abundantly filled with delightful sight gags and a rich color palette. There's quite a lot of amazing stuff in here. The "backgrounds" and environments are exceptionally rich in detail.

The biggest flaw in this film is it's a mistake to voice-cast a skinny, hyperactive guy like Jim Carrey as a fat, lumbering elephant. The conception of Horton in the original Seuss book is a deep-voiced, slightly dumb and dorky animal with a very big heart, who succeeds in spite of himself. Jim Carrey inevitably turns any character he plays into a smart aleck. Consequently, Horton as depicted here possesses both massive, jungle-rumbling size and apparently, lighting speed and hyperactive reflexes too. Every character in this movie either has ADD or is on speed.

I'm not too thrilled with the casting of Charles Osgood as the voice of the narrator, either, as I half expect to a see a CBS reporter show up in Who-ville at any moment. Still, his voice is inevitably reassuring. But again, Osgood is not a very imaginative casting choice. I'm sure there are any number of unknown voice artists who could have put some fresh wrinkles into this part.

I take this as proof that the "star system" is a time-honored practice designed to pander to the audience. This system really gets in the way of new talent rising to prominence.

Still, this is a delightful movie that takes every opportunity to thrill us with the endless variety of camera moves and perspectives possible in 3D animation. It's middle-of-the-road commercial entertainment designed to attract a mass audience. The art direction and design work make this a movie well worth seeing, especially in Blu-Ray.