You know, I fully understand the why behind the stream of Dr. Seuss theatrical adaptations. I'm certainly less than a fan of them, but I understand the desire to draw people in with the titles and themes of childhood classics, no matter how loosely they run with the stories or characters.

But personally, I like my Seuss just the way I grew up with it. Animated. And short. Seuss's books, after all, were thin, quickly read fables that existed in a bizarre fantasyland born out of twisted genius. They were not intricate, nor were they particularly heady. They were simple, elegant stories that explained complex ideas in very simple terms. And they were beautiful. So to see them turned into big budget shadows of their previous selves just makes my childhood die a little each time, like returning to a beautiful park where I went as a kid only to find that it was turned into a garish theme park lacking everything that I once loved about that wonderful place.

Which is why I was thrilled to get the Horton Hears a Who deluxe collection DVD. This is a rerelease of the classic Chuck Jones 1970 version of the story, bundled with three other classics -- two awesome, and one not so much. Watching this version for the first time since I was a kid was a real eye opener. It's one of Seuss's more sophisticatedly political pieces, taking a very simple idea -- the forgotten minority opinion -- and instilling the knowledge that one needs to speak up, sometimes as loud as one can, in oder to make sure that everything is right. And much like many of Seuss's morality plays, it is broad enough to be a lesson for a number of venues.

Also on the disc is one of my very favorite Seuss stories ever -- The Butter Battle Book. This relatively unknown 1989 version was directed by legendary hipster-beloved master animator Ralph Bakshi (Lord of the Rings, Fritz the Cat.) Adopting Chuck Jones' classic style, but adding his own distinct flourishes, Bakshi turns out one of the best Seuss adaptations to date. While most Seuss cartoons seem to struggle and stretch at points to fill the entire 22 televised minutes they were designed for, The Butter Battle Book remains solid, tense and gripping the whole way through. Right on up to its infamous cliffhanger.

And in what is an absolute treat, the disc also comes with the 1940s-era Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies version of Horton Hatches The Egg. This is classic WB at its finest, complete with a Peter Lorre impression and all the delightful weirdness that -- admit it -- every last one of us grew up with. And while it's not a thematic cousin of Horton Hears a Who, it's obvious why this one made the disc, since it stars the eponymous elephant.

Then there's Daisy-Head Mayzie, far from my favorite Dr. Seuss, and an animated episode not done by either Jones or Bakshi. If ever there was a Seuss adaptation that felt like 90 percent filler, this is it. The only thing it shares with Horton is that Mayzie shares her name with the mother bird in Horton Hatches the Egg.

The special features on this are a little light, including a Horton Hears a Who sing-along and a bizarre documentary titled In Search of Dr. Seuss. The doc, which stars Matt Frewer, Christopher Lloyd and Robin Williams (among others) is pretty light on information, but heavy on the imagination as it takes kids through the world of Seuss, explaining the whys and whats of many of his most interesting stories.

But really, in this case the special features are the additional cartoons -- all of which come together as a pretty delightful package. If your kids are still howling about Horton or you're a big Seuss fan yourself, put this one on the viewing list.

C. Robert Cargill - - - Email Me
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Austin-based Cargill, who not only loves but owns The Cutting Edge, writes on movies and DVD five times a week.

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