Overall Rating:
Score: 8.3/10
Family-Friendliness Scale: Level 4 (Great)
Kids ages 5+
Welcome to Thneedville,
A City They Say, That Was Plastic and Fake,
And They Liked It That Way,
No Nature, No Flowers, No One Seemed To Mind,
But A Secret Was Waiting, For Someone To Find...
12-year old Ted Wiggins (voiced by Zac Efron) is looking for the one thing that will win the heart of the girl across the street, Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift). After landing a model airplane in her backyard, Audrey shows him a painting of some Truffula trees, telling him that she really yearns to see a real, living tree. But that's not easy, considering the kids live in a completely fake city called Thneedville, which has no signs of nature, trees, or flowers, just....plastic. Getting advice from his grandmother (voiced by Betty White), Ted leaves town to find the reclusive Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms). Once Ted found him, the Once-ler told the story of how all the trees got cut down, and how wildlife and the guardian of the trees, the Lorax (voiced by Danny DeVito) were forced to leave.
Positive Notes
First and foremost, The Lorax stays faithful to its' original resource, the creatures and the trees all look like the original 2-dimensional drawings. The animation is very colorful and vibrant. I didn't see it in 3D, but the characters and backgrounds are very exquisitely designed in that familiar Dr. Seuss fashion. The music score by John Powell is great, and somewhat reminiscent of classic Disney movies' music scores. The voice cast, including Efron, Swift, White, Helms, DeVito, Rob Riggle, and Jenny Slate all do a nice job bringing life to their characters.
The film carries positive messages about saving trees, but there's also hidden morals on getting outside and enjoying nature, setting aside differences for a major cause and the effect of positive change. The story is fun and kid-friendly, and it has many hilarious moments, mainly with the animals. (Most notably, the hilarious rendition of the "Mission: Impossible" theme by humming bears and singing fish) The musical numbers are catchy (though not as memorable as Tangled or The Muppets and its' kinda surprising that both Efron and Swift didn't get any solos), with the best one being "Let it Grow".
Negative Notes
The d-word is blurted out once, the unfinished "what the...?" is uttered twice and there is some name-calling. The film obviously carries an environmental message, but its' not exactly over-the-top. Mild slapstick peril/violence and some cartoonish silliness. The song "How Bad Can I Be" can come off as a bit annoying.
Summary
I'm a big fan of movies that "open up the childhood imagination". And while I didn't read The Lorax as a kid, I still knew what Dr. Seuss world was like reading other books such as The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. I watched read-along videos and played computer games that helped me learn to read.
In terms of film adaptations, they haven't been as consistent. The Grinch was very silly, The Cat in the Hat was even worse (they both also had some suggestive jokes), and Horton Hears A Who was cute, but not great. This one is different. Sure, it's been a bit updated for this century and it has its' share of cartoonish goofiness, but it stays connected with its' original story, instead of going off on a different subject or pulling off an inappropriate joke at kids.
Now, was the film moving? No. Is it the next Up or Tangled? No. But, the film keeps its' focus on the kids in the audience, and I remember at the end of a song when the Once-ler asked, "How bad can I be?" and when we see the factory, a little girl behind me says, "Very bad". The environmental message the film carries may have a mixed outcome among people, with some embracing it, some possibly being offended by it, or even some that aren't influenced either way by it.
Overall, I was looking for a fun, colorful, and somewhat exciting adventure that would give a lot of respect to its' book basis. The Lorax does just that.
