Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat [WS]

Director: Bo Welch, Brian Grazer Bo Welch

Overview

"Love it or hate it (and let's face it, most hated it), this film is a marvel of set design and art direction, and that is well represented on this special edition DVD. The 1.85:1 anamorphic image is simply stunning. (As is common now, a full-frame version is available separately.) Colors, a vital element of the film, are presented with an amazing flourish, perfectly capturing the theatrical appearance. There are no signs of grain or print scratches, as would be expected. Nearly as impressive is the 5.1 Dolby Digital track. The sound mix is very exciting, with wide use of the surrounds for effect, but the main audio source is never drowned out up front. Dialogue is clear (this could be a good or bad thing, depending on your view) and without any distortion. It wouldn't be surprising to see a two-disc re-release happen down the line, but this title still throws in a number of first-rate supplements. While the menus are annoying, they will take you to numerous sections, mainly comprised of 12 short (under three minutes each) featurettes. Those with short attention spans will appreciate these pieces, all with interviews from director Bo Welch, star Mike Myers, and other cast members. Segments include the cat makeup, the music, the creation of the Theodore Seuss Geisel stamp, the vehicles, various visual effects, and more. In addition, and designed to appeal to the very young, is a segment on how to dance like the cat. Slightly more promising, though not the best ever produced, is an audio commentary track from Welch and Alec Baldwin. The two seem to enjoy recording this track, and their time making the movie. Infinitely more amusing than the film is a lengthy bloopers segment. Finally, a number of deleted scenes are offered, as well as the trailers for Shrek 2 and Peter Pan. Overall, this is a fine disc, from the exceptional picture and sound to a wide array of extras. Now, if only the film was as good."

Product Details

Release Date:	03/16/2004
UPC:	0025192147623
Original Release:	2003
Rating:	PG
Source:	UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:22:00

Special Features

Dance-along With the Cat: Learn how to dance just like the cat with fun, easy-to-follow steps; 16 deleted scenes: Never-before-seen footage with lots of surprises; 20 outtakes: Hilarious bloopers featuring Mike Myers as the Cat; "The Purrrr-fect Stamp": An unprecedented look at the making of a new U.S. stamp celebrating the real Dr. Seuss; "The Dirt on D.I.R.T.": How the magical cleaning machine came to life; "Seussville U.S.A.": See how everyday Pomona, CA, was transformed into fantastical Seussland; "The Mother of All Messes": Learn how special effects created the biggest mess ever; "The Music": A firsthand look at unusual Seussian instruments; Plus more on the Cat, the Fish, the kids, and the S.L.O.W.

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Mike Myers	The Cat
Alec Baldwin	Lawrence Quinn
Kelly Preston	Mom
Dakota Fanning	Sally
Spencer Breslin	Conrad
Amy Hill	Mrs. Kwan
Sean Hayes	Mr. Humberfloob/The Fish
Danielle Chuchran	Thing 1
Taylor Rice	Thing 1
Brittany Oaks	Thing 2
Talia Prarie	Thing 2
Dan Castellaneta	Voice of Thing 1 and 2,Thing One/Thing Two
Victor Brandt	Narrator,Narrator
Daran Norris	Announcer
Clint Howard	Kate the Caterer
Paige Hurd	Denise
Steven Anthony Lawrence	Dumb Schweitzer
Paris Hilton	Female Club-goer
Candace Dean Brown	Secretary,la secrétaire
Roger Morrissey	Mr. Vompatatat
Stephen Hibbert	Jim McFlinnigan
Talia-Lynn Prairie	Thing Two
Christina Kirkman	Girl at Party
Stomy Bugsy	Nevins
Jim Cummings	Nevins
David Newman	Composer

Technical Credits

Jeff Schaffer

David Mandel

Alec Berg

Bo Welch	Director
Jeff Schaffer	Screenwriter
David Mandel	Screenwriter
Alec Berg	Screenwriter
Karen Kehela	Executive Producer,Producer,Producer
Eric McLeod	Executive Producer,Producer
Maureen Peyrot	Executive Producer,Producer
Gregg Taylor	Executive Producer,Producer
Brian Grazer	Producer,Director
Juel Bestrop	Casting
Thomas L. Fisher	Special Effects
Andy Gill	Stunts,Stunts
Jeanne McCarthy	Casting
Douglas Hans Smith	Special Effects
Brian Basham	Sound Effects
Odin Benitez	Sound Effects
Bela Brozsek	Special Effects
Cameron Croughwell	Stunts
Kendrick Wallace	Producer
Mike Anderson	Key Grip
Don Selsor	Key Grip
Garrison Jackemuk	Producer
Steve Johnson	Key Grip
Michael Rifkin	Special Effects
Lee Berger	Executive Producer
Cheryl Bainum	Executive Producer
Patrick Romano	Stunts
Christian Fletcher	Stunts
Jonathan Valera	Stunts
Sonny Tipton	Stunts
Troy Wood	Stunts
Jesse Tipton	Stunts
Dan Flannigan	Stunts
Rob Mars	Stunts
Jane Oshita	Stunts
Robert Pellerin	Stunts
Richard Epper	Stunts
Larry Nicholas	Stunts
Darren Prescott	Stunts
Jonathan Eusebio	Stunts
Eddie Fiola	Stunts
Laura Dash	Stunts
Jared S. Eddo	Stunts
Joshua Croughwell	Stunts
Wyatt Tipton	Stunts
Patrick Aguilera	Stunts
Troy Dederick	Stunts
Ajay Hateley	Stunts
Chad Mason	Stunts
David Schultz	Stunts
Cody Weselis	Stunts
Nicolette McNair	Stunts
Anthony Schmidt	Stunts
Kenny Endoso	Stunts
Bob McDougall	Stunts
Nancy Thurston	Stunts
Darlene Ava Williams	Stunts
Keenan Hateley	Stunts
Doug O'Dell	Stunts
Amberlynn Dorsey	Stunts
Danielle McNair	Stunts
Gloria O'Brien	Stunts
Aaron Walters	Stunts
Dan Lemieux	Stunts
Kacie Borrowman	Stunts
Tyler Campbell	Stunts
David Hugghins	Stunts
Rowbie Orsati	Stunts
Mike Rice	Stunts
Xuyen T. Valdivia	Stunts
Dimension Sound	Sound Editor
Kathleen Cusack	Sound Mixer
Steve Johnson	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Give The Cat in the Hat credit: It more than lives up to the Cat's promise to deliver "pure unadulterated fun without any good sense or judgment." This extends to Mike Myers's somewhat desperate performance, as well as this DVD itself, whose bonus features include bloopers in which the adult actors swear when they flub their lines. The profanities are bleeped, but still, this is a family film, after all. Dr. Seuss' wonderful, whimsical, mischievous book is as buried as Myers under all that fur. But critics don't know what the little kids understand: The bright colors, the slapstick and mayhem, the mild profanities, and below-the-belt gags are perfectly pitched to the target adolescent audience. The Cat (voiced by Myers as equal parts Bert Lahr, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Saturday Night Live's "Coffee Talk" hostess Linda Richman), works his dubious magic on two disagreeable siblings, rule breaker Conrad (Spencer Breslin) and control freak Sally (Dakota Fanning). Oscar nominee (but certainly not for this film) Alec Baldwin is game in the thankless role of the smarmy, slimy next-door neighbor with designs on Conrad and Sally's mother (Kelly Preston). It is perhaps a coincidence that he recently vowed to a reporter that he would do no more kids' films. If only the movie was as much fun as this disc's imaginative animated menus, hosted by Breslin and Fanning. The Cat in the Hat may be, to quote the top-hatted feline, "the mother of all messes," but on the "Phunometer," it scores high with the kids who helped make it a $100 million box office hit. It will, no doubt, enjoy more than nine lives on home video.