Search - In Search of Dr. Seuss on DVD

Marc B. (marcb)
Reviewed on 4/18/2011...

I had this on VHS tape as a child. Watching it again, I'm struck by how subtle some of the humor is -- I got a lot of it as a kid, but not all. Its plot centers on Kathy (Kathy Najimy), an annoying reporter who shows up at Dr. Seuss's house to learn more about his life as research for her story about him. She meets several of his characters -- the Cat in the Hat, Mr. Hunch, and the Once-ler, among others -- who guide her through his life story.

It is, of course, fantastic to see some of the cameos: Eileen Brennan as a resident of Who-Ville; Billy Crystal as the Voice of America ("We came on the air in WWII, and still are. Kinda like Soul Train."); Andrea Martin as an ad agency worker; Patrick Stewart as Sgt. Mulvaney of Mulberry Street ... et cetera. And really, there's very little not to love about a Dr. Seuss documentary that features Kathy Najimy dancing with a gospel choir who are all dressed up like turtles!

The content itself is great too: it has many interesting tidbits about Dr. Seuss's life, interspersed with several of his stories, retold in song ("Yertle the Turtle"), shown as cartoons (Horton Hatches the Egg, The Butter Battle Book), or narrated by Kathy or another character (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, "The Sneetches"). Some parents may take issue with the section where the Cat shows Kathy some of Dr. Seuss's anti-Hitler cartoons and discusses his original conception of Yertle the Turtle as a Nazi, as it and the following scenes (in which the Voice of America radio plays a short film about post-Nazi Germany, written by Dr. Seuss and his first wife) show Hitler, the Nazi salute, and swastikas. However, I think that this is meant less as a documentary for kids, and more as a documentary, period, that kids will like.

FYI, this also appears as a bonus feature on the Horton Hears a Who! cartoon deluxe-edition DVD, which is a bit cheaper on Amazon at the moment if you don't want to wait for the Wish List.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Better fun for adults than for kids!

11/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This video is informative and fun. It explores the life of Dr. Seuss and also acts out some of his best stories, including the Lorax, the Grinch and the Butter Battle. Robin Williams is great....like watching Mork from Ork read the Cat in the Hat. The star studded cast is impressive and the whole thing is very original. Adult Seuss fans might get more out of this video than the kids! Excellent."

Entertainment for all ages

10/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a parent and a teacher. I bought this video a couple of years ago for my daughter. She was 1 1/2 at the time. At 3 1/2 it is still her favorite video. I take it extended family gatherings as a quiet time treat and even the teenagers find themselves enjoying quiet time with the little ones. My husband is in the military and took it to Bosnia. He says you haven't seen anything until you have seen a bunch of GIs singing Dr. Suess on a Saturday night. In school, I have used it for all ages with different angles. For older kids, it is a great biography of the struggles of successful writer and an example of how story ideas can be taken from life. For little kids, it is an introduction to the idea that there could be more to a story than what is on the page. I have almost worn out my copy and will probably need to buy a new one soon. A must buy for kids of all ages!"

Terrific for all ages/ all levels

11/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a terrific video! My kids (now 5 & 8) had borrowed this from the public library so many times, that we just HAD to buy a copy of our own! The mixture of song, dance, well-known actors and clips from the various animated movies inter-twined in the storyline of a journalist trying to get the "real" story on Dr. Seuss is all wonderful. My kids don't care much for the documentary sections, but that, too is well done and filled with a wealth of information and insight. I highly recommend this video."