Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Deluxe Edition)

What can I say; this is a great holiday special. There were only a handful I had to watch every year growing up, and this is one of them. That's extended to my adult Decembers as well. It keeps the story simple, not trying to expand it needlessly like the recent live action movie did. And the songs add to the fun, especially "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." That song alone is worth watching the special for.

This DVD is a great way to own this classic. The picture and sound are good. I can't really tell that much difference in how the Grinch is supposed to look, and to me this is a minor issue anyway. The extras are a mixed bag. The audio commentary isn't that great because it's obvious that they really don't have that much to say. However, the special about the making of the cartoon and the separate interview about writing the songs are both interesting.

This disc also includes another cartoon from a Dr. Seuss book, HORTON HEARS A WHO. I had never seen this special before I bought the disc, but I'm not a fan of it. Not sure why because I like the book. Maybe if I'd seen it as a kid I'd feel differently.

Ultimately, the reason to get this DVD is the classic Christmas special that headlines the disc. Watching it always brings the warm fuzzies of Christmas past for a visit. You can't go wrong getting it.

"HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS" is the story of the rotten-hearted Grinch, who, well, tries to steal Christmas! But he learns his lesson eventually, as everyone does--it's not about THINGS. It's about holiday spirit and being together. The anamation is as lighthearted as the pictures in the Dr. Suess picturebook, and the words are almost the same as the ones in the book. This one is sure to please, and will make a nifty stocking stuffer. But it's be even niftier when paired with....

"HURTON HEARS A WHO" is a very cute adaptation of another Suess offering, taking place in two completly different worlds about to collide. Hurton the Elephent finds a tiny part of a flower, which contains a whole different world. Hurton makes contact with a scientist in this second world, and learns how different the worlds are. But because a person is a person no matter how small, Hurton decides to help his newfound friend. The one major problem here is that NO ONE BELIEVES EITHER HURTON OR HIS FRIEND. What will happen next???? This one will keep kids in suspense, but I like the former of the cartoons better.

To end--The Grinch is a mean one, and your kids will think YOU'RE mean if you don't stuff their stocking with this. It's collectively a perfect video, and kids will be excited to hear that the soundtracks to both films appear unabriged on a single CD. A very special video release sure to satisfy the ones who aren't getting a lump of coal this year....

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is undeniably my favorite animated Christmas special. A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph and Frosty are great, of course, but the Grinch is the cream of the crop. Wonderful narration by Boris Karloff, immaculate animation and that special "Christmas vibe" you get when you're watching or listening to something really special; what's not to like? This is an essential piece of holiday history for your collection.

There's nothing I can really say to make you buy this disc; you've seen it by now and chances are, unless you're the Grinch himself, you absolutely adore it. What I can say is that this particular DVD makes an already perfect Christmas special even better. Not only do you get a few wonderful features that deal with the making of the the Grinch and a few fun games for the kids, but also "Horton Hears a Who," another wonderful cartoon made by animation genius, Chuck Jones.

The review written by Amazon.com summed it up perfectly with just one sentence - this is one of the best Christmas gifts you can get for YOURSELF.

First, "The Grinch:" never have I seen it this clear. The commentary, sadly enough, does not include director Chuck Jones. It features one of the animators and June Foray (Cindy Lou Who). That doesn't sound promising: an animator and the voice of a character who has about 2 lines in the whole cartoon? However, it is quite good as both are veterans of the cartoon industry and shared not only their experiences with Chuck Jones and Dr. Seuss on this project, but their experiences as part of animation history. The documentary is really an old TV special that details some of the making of the Grinch while also explaining animation basics. It doesn't get very technical, but at least Chuck Jones makes an appearance. The most exciting things in the documentary were clips of the film as a work-in-progress. I would have liked to have seen the entire thing as a work-in-progress, but perhaps it wasn't available. The short interview segment on the music was also nice. I don't think I will ever be able to hear "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" without thinking of Tony the Tiger.

Horton Hears a Who is included as a bonus feature, presumably because both feature Whos. It had never occurred to me that the 2 stories were related until I got this disc. This feature is not as widely seen as The Grinch, and the story is pretty heady stuff. The bonus materials for this subject are pretty skimpy; basically just some pencil sketches. It would have been nice to have at least some production notes. I mean, Dr. Whoovey looks an awful lot like Chuck Jones, who provided the voice, but there isn't any information about that or anything else.

The Grinch is a Christmas classic that usually receives repeated viewings every year, and DVD will definitely outlast old-fashioned VHS in that category. Even with the shortcomings of Horton, this disc is well worth the price, and you'd have to be a Grinch not to enjoy almost 2 crystal-clear hours of classic Chuck Jones animation.

Forget Carrey's Grinch, and go to the source of where it all began. This is story-telling, and the music is marvelous. You'll be singing "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch" for days and days. Superbly recommended!!!