Second animated adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story is narrated by Hans Conried (Boris Karloff having sadly passed away) and is about an elephant named Horton who discovers a microscopic community living on a plant that he desperately tries to convince his community exists, but they stubbornly refuse, both ridiculing Horton and trying to destroy the plant! Horton has a big heart though, and decides that this intelligent tiny civilization is worth preserving... Well-intentioned special has a good message but decidedly mediocre songs, and is mostly forgettable, though the joke at the end about what the tiny community really is (we've seen it before...) is amusing, but that's all.

Dr Seuss' zippy rhymes brought generations of children together and this one, with its constant refrain 'a person's a person, no matter how small' is no exception.Beautifully animated, this tale of Horton the friendly elephant takes a step on from the 1940s Merrie Melodie 'Horton Hatches The Egg' and has just as much charm. Horton, a slightly dim but kindly elephant, hears a whole colony of 'Whos' who live in a dust speck housed on a clover head, and seeks to keep them safe from doubters who wish to do them and him harm.Memorable, funny, with bright colours and well-shaped characters such as Jane Kangaroo and the Doctor of Whoville himself, 'Horton Hears A Who' is probably the best of the Dr Seuss films.

I had fond memories of this movie from when I was a kid. I never see it on TV anywhere though. This is my kids favorite book for me to read. They like to finish the line "A person's a person no matter how small". The most vivid memory is of the Wickersham Brother's singing "Boil that dust speck! Boil that dust speck!" and the "We are here!" letters getting caught in the clouds and the little twerps "Yop!" breaking through. I wish they would make the other Horton story "Horton hatches an egg!" into a movie. This one addresses the topic of adoption in a very cool way. Since all my kids are adopted I especially like that one.Horton hers a who is great for kids! 8/10

This short animated adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book is on the back end of a video which contains The Grinch who stole Christmas as the feature. It is actually a better story than the Grinch. In fact the storyline deals with such complex metaphysical questions that it is probably a little above the average child. As a childs movie it is about an elephant named Horton who hears a tiny voice one day. After searching for quite a while he determines the voice he heard actually came from the head of a tiny dandelion. Horton discovers the voice is that of a tiny scientist who lives in the village of Whoville. Whoville is located on that dandelion, and is perpetually surrounded by clouds,preventing any contact between Whoville and the outside world.The scientist has long believed that there was live outside of Whoville. Another words they were not alone. This of course is hearesy to the residents of Whoville, and the scientist has been deemed a quack. But now he has his proof, his conversation with Horton. This will prove once and for all that there is life beyond tiny Whoville. Meanwhile Horton has also been deemed a quack. The residents of his world similarly cannot believe that a whole world could exist on the head of a dandelion. The dandelion, and its contents, face peril after peril. Ironically the citizens of Whoville are totally unaware of there immenent doom. After all they are the sole occupants of creation and in there little world everything is just fine. Horton must save them. Not only for the pure goodness of saving all creatures no matter how small, but because it will exonerate him on his world and the scientist in Whoville. The solution: the two worlds just have to speak with each other. Proof to each other that the other exists. Herin lies the beauty of this movie. It works on so many levals. Many more for adults than children. It deals with the intrinsic dangers behind a society thinking that there way of live, there religion, there race, there way of live is the chosen one. Ironically that society,the Whos were a tiny microscopic dot that would have been destroyed had they not been saved by an outsider. It deals with free speach issues in that both Horton and the scientist are attacked for there radical believes. It deals with the strong helping the weak in that the largest land animal, the elephant, struggles mightily to save Whoville, for no other reason than it is the right thing to do. And finally, subtily, it points us to the best solution to all of life's problems and conflicts. Talk to each other!!! Come to think of it maybe this is a children's movie afterall. And since it works so well in teaching us a lesson I give it an EIGHT.