Horton Hears A Who (Single Disc Edition) [DVD] [2008]

ASIN: B0015HUTF8

Category: DVD

Price: New Prices From :- £3.25

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Editorial Review: Amazon.co.uk Review
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, colourful 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, Amazon.com

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School Of Rock [DVD] [2004]

ASIN: B0001KO8E8

Category: DVD

Price: New Prices From :- £1.95

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Editorial Review: Amazon.co.uk Review
Turbo-charged comic Jack Black shakes School of Rock to its foundations, wailing with born-again metalhead passion as Dewey Finn, a guitarist who gets kicked out of a band because he grandstands too much–or, to put it another way, enjoys himself. Through an intercepted phone call, Finn gets a job as a substitute teacher for a fifth grade class at a private grade school. Neither students nor teacher quite know what to do with each other until Finn discovers that some of his young charges can play instruments; at once he starts turning them into a blistering rock & roll troupe that can crush his former band at an upcoming competition. School of Rock is silly and formulaic, but director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused), writer Mike White (The Good Girl), and especially Black and co-star Joan Cusack invest the formulas with such glee that the movie is irresistibly fun. –Bret Fetzer

On the DVD: Like the movie, the DVD extras are smarter and a lot more entertaining than your average flick. The making-of feature (“Lessons Learned”) has the usual behind-the-scenes banter but Jack Black is in fine form–that is, something special–interviewing as much as being interviewed about the making of the film. His unique pitch to Led Zeppelin to use their song is alone worth the price of the DVD. Black is more his maniacal self and a bit more grating in MTV’s Diary segment, but his commentary track with director Richard Linklater is as insightful as it is funny. Ok, it’s a lot more funny, but entertaining throughout. The commentary track featuring just the kid actors is less so, but any preteen would love listening to it. To top it off, the DVD-ROM has Dewey Finn’s instantly famous blackboard history of rock. You can drill down to the bands mentioned and get a brief history of each. –Doug Thomas

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