“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful not, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”
So says Danny DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the voice of the titular character in the new animated film, The Lorax. One of Dr. Seuss’s most popular books is brought to life by the relatively new production company, Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me). The animators do a phenomenal job creating a Seussical world filled with vibrant colors and quirky architecture. (I didn’t see it in 3D, but I’ve heard it looks fantastic in that format as well.)
The atmospheres created are truly unique. From the industrialized town of Thneedville to the lush forests filled with truffula trees, each location has a character and presence all their own. The citizens of Thneedville are blissfully ignorant of the effects of their overblown consumerism, delighting in the florescence of their technological superiority, while the adorable creatures of the forest have their naturally beautiful home destroyed and their innocence heartbreakingly fractured by the Onceler. The forests animals (birds, fish, and bears) steal every scene they are in, particularly the bears.
The Lorax is not only a retelling of the classic story, but also a continuation of it. The book depicts the Once-ler telling the story of how his greed led to him cutting down the forest to a young boy and ends with the Once-ler giving the last truffula seed to the boy. The film goes a step further, showing audiences the story of the boy, now given the name Ted, and his quest to win the heart of a nature-loving girl and, later, to plant the all-important seed. The extra content in the film meshes incredibly well with the original material and creates an incredibly satisfying story.
The film is also very musical in nature, delivering a number of foot-tapping original songs. “Let it Grow” is the big song of the movie and likely to be a contender for an Oscar come next winter. However, my favorite song was “How Bad Can I Be?”, a piece delivered during one of the flashbacks. Sung by the Once-ler, we see the message of the song tragically shift from an insistence of innocence to an admittance of corruption and a challenge for the Once-ler to see how far he can go in his evil. It is a perfect depiction of the Once-ler’s sad journey from good to bad.
In addition to DeVito, the voice cast consists of Ed Helms (The Hangover) as the Once-ler, Zac Efron (High School Musical) as Ted, Taylor Swift (Valentine’s Day) as Audrey, and Betty White (The Proposal) as Grammy Norma. Each does a swell job with their performances and were perfectly cast for their characters. (See if you can spot the other character voiced by Zac Efron!)
The biggest issue with the film was that with such a focus on Ted and the Once-ler, the character of the Lorax is sidelined more than he should be. Obviously the Lorax should play a more major role in a movie called The Lorax! My only other complaint is that the evil corporation in the film, O’Hare Air, and its president and his minions did not come across as very Seussical. The good Dr., I’m sure, would have developed something far more outlandish than the stereotypes we are given.
Overall, The Lorax is delightful film with a positive message, hilarious moments, energetic songs, and lively animation. Dr. Seuss would be proud.
The Final Word: Go buy a ticket.
So says Danny DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), the voice of the titular character in the new animated film, The Lorax. One of Dr. Seuss’s most popular books is brought to life by the relatively new production company, Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me). The animators do a phenomenal job creating a Seussical world filled with vibrant colors and quirky architecture. (I didn’t see it in 3D, but I’ve heard it looks fantastic in that format as well.)
The atmospheres created are truly unique. From the industrialized town of Thneedville to the lush forests filled with truffula trees, each location has a character and presence all their own. The citizens of Thneedville are blissfully ignorant of the effects of their overblown consumerism, delighting in the florescence of their technological superiority, while the adorable creatures of the forest have their naturally beautiful home destroyed and their innocence heartbreakingly fractured by the Onceler. The forests animals (birds, fish, and bears) steal every scene they are in, particularly the bears.
The Lorax is not only a retelling of the classic story, but also a continuation of it. The book depicts the Once-ler telling the story of how his greed led to him cutting down the forest to a young boy and ends with the Once-ler giving the last truffula seed to the boy. The film goes a step further, showing audiences the story of the boy, now given the name Ted, and his quest to win the heart of a nature-loving girl and, later, to plant the all-important seed. The extra content in the film meshes incredibly well with the original material and creates an incredibly satisfying story.
The film is also very musical in nature, delivering a number of foot-tapping original songs. “Let it Grow” is the big song of the movie and likely to be a contender for an Oscar come next winter. However, my favorite song was “How Bad Can I Be?”, a piece delivered during one of the flashbacks. Sung by the Once-ler, we see the message of the song tragically shift from an insistence of innocence to an admittance of corruption and a challenge for the Once-ler to see how far he can go in his evil. It is a perfect depiction of the Once-ler’s sad journey from good to bad.
In addition to DeVito, the voice cast consists of Ed Helms (The Hangover) as the Once-ler, Zac Efron (High School Musical) as Ted, Taylor Swift (Valentine’s Day) as Audrey, and Betty White (The Proposal) as Grammy Norma. Each does a swell job with their performances and were perfectly cast for their characters. (See if you can spot the other character voiced by Zac Efron!)
The biggest issue with the film was that with such a focus on Ted and the Once-ler, the character of the Lorax is sidelined more than he should be. Obviously the Lorax should play a more major role in a movie called The Lorax! My only other complaint is that the evil corporation in the film, O’Hare Air, and its president and his minions did not come across as very Seussical. The good Dr., I’m sure, would have developed something far more outlandish than the stereotypes we are given.
Overall, The Lorax is delightful film with a positive message, hilarious moments, energetic songs, and lively animation. Dr. Seuss would be proud.
The Final Word: Go buy a ticket.
While the movie is funnier than the book, the drawback of this modernized version is that it loses the timeless quality of the story on the page. Still, I had a good time and it will definitely resonate well with plenty of adults and just about every kid imaginable. Great review. It’s a lot better than Despicable Me though, or at least that’s what I thought.
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