To say the least, the Dr. Seuss animation adaptations have been on a wild ride these past few years. Now, I am not talkin about the older animated classics that aired in our childhoods with titles like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Horton Hears a Who." Those original animation adaptations stand in their own category when compared to the more recent cinematic releases created by modern day animation companies like Illumination and Blue Sky. Though, personally, I see that these adaptations of "The Grinch," "The Lorax," or other modern animated Seuss classics have their own strengths and weaknesses, the general consensus is that all of these adaptations have missed their mark. The stories seemed not quite there for many and they didn't seem to capture the original Seuss magic.
For a long time, the mention of a Dr. Seuss adaptation was met with a strong type of hesitance. So when it was announced that there was a "Green Eggs and Ham" cartoon series coming to Netflix, the reaction was one of disbelief. Not only were modern Dr. Seuss animations viewed with a critical eye, one could only imagine how far a simple and short book like "Green Eggs and Ham" could take thirteen episodes of a cartoon series.
However, despite this hesitation, the show hit Netflix for its viewers to fully watch and take in. The real question now is: How did it do? Much to the surprise of many animation and Dr. Seuss fans, the show was good. In fact, it was more than good: it was amazing. Green Eggs and Ham," despite all the odds, has a lot to offer those who adore animation and those who find themselves nostalgic about the classic, Dr. Seuss stories.
To start off in talking about this show, it would be a crime if I didn't mention the glorious animation. As someone who watched 2D animation die down a little as 3D animation rose in popularity, this show was extremely satisfying to watch. The amount of detail and care put into this show is astounding and the love is visible in every character movement. Though it is time consuming, the frame by frame 2D animation really makes this cartoon pop and gives life to the characters to make them seem even more alive one the screen. This animation power mixed with every single art style decision, color choice, and visual selection really captures the wild world Dr. Seuss brought to life in his books. I wouldn't mind putting this show on mute just to watch the animation flow onscreen and create a fun, engaging environment.
Though the animation can be appreciated alone, we are lucky that the story is just as nice to appreciate. One would think adapting a Dr. Seuss book about a guy who refuses to eat Green Eggs and Ham wouldn't get you much material to work with, but this cartoon proves that a little creativity can go a long way. By incorporating the episode titles with the original rhyme, this cartoon is able to take us on a wild ride as our main characters, Guy-Am-I and Sam-I-AM, go on an adventure to save a stolen animal and return him back to the wild. Of course, Green Eggs and Ham are involved in this story, but this cartoon surprises us by providing viewers with both comedic and touching scenes; this show centering on Dr. Seuss characters is not afraid to push the plot in order to give us silly and serious themes.
For me, this is where the story and cartoon go above and beyond what is expected. I found myself drawn in not just by the animation or the story, but to the characters themselves. Not only do they provide us wit ha lot of laughs in the show, they provide us with important lessons to learn. This show dares to explore themes through these characters that one would think impossible from a Dr. Seuss animated adaptation. However, this show proves us wrong by smartly showcasing just how these characters are connected, yet individual creations. Without any spoilers, this show does something lovely by having us explore the SAME theme through all of the main characters and for me, that is something challenging to accomplish. However, "Green Eggs and Ham" goes to show how good things come from those who give something a good and honest try.
When you take a step back from this show, you would think it wouldn't really work. Once again, we have a modern adaptation of a Dr. Seuss classic that fails to capture the original heart or effort. However, this cartoon series proves that good things come from hard work and a little Green Eggs and Ham.
