Horton Hears a Who!

The classic children's book by Dr. Seuss is given an effective update in this feature-length animated adaptation, which hews closely to the original's basic plot and character design but spiffs up the story with hip contemporary dialogue. In the Jungle of Nool, rubbery-faced elephant Horton (voiced by Jim Carrey) hears a faint cry, which is emanating from a floating speck that's actually a tiny planet inhabited by microscopic denizens known as Whos. Horton can't see these creatures but manages to communicate to their excitable mayor (Steve Carell) and vows to save this vulnerable ecosystem. But both Horton and the mayor are mocked by fellow creatures in their respective worlds. Directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino bring the book to life with great verve, style, and pace, while writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio rate kudos for their skillful revamping of the original material (retaining most of the author's well-known rhymes but also adding snappy one-liners that have a more contemporary ring). Reminding us that “A person's a person, no matter how small,” Horton Hears a Who! is great fun for all. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, 19 minutes of deleted footage w/optional commentary, the bonus short “Surviving Sid” featuring the Ice Age character voiced by John Leguizamo (8 min.), eight minutes of animation screen tests, the eight-minute featurette “That's One Big Elephant: Animating Horton,” “Bringing Seuss to Screen” (8 min.), “Bringing the Characters to Life” (6 min.), “Elephant Fun: The Facts” (6 min.), “The Elephant in the Room: Jim Carrey” (5 min.), a “Meet Katie” character featurette (4 min.), “A Person is a Person: A Universal Message” (4 min.), “Our Speck: Where Do We Fit In?” (4 min.), the “We Are Here” DVD game, and DVD-ROM features (including a “Create Your Own Animation” segment). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a picture-in-picture track in which viewers can watch the film “with a Who,” and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a nice extras package for a fine family film.] (E. Hulse)