(Dr. Seuss’ beloved story, ‘The Lorax,’ comes to the big screen, but falls short of entertaining the adults in the audience)
It seems no matter the age, Dr. Seuss books remain a huge influence upon readers everywhere and continue to be an inspiration to younger generations, even through film today.
“The Lorax” is an animation film about modern-day consumerism and environmental activism rolled into song.
The story remains true to Seuss’s artistic design, but loses its appeal along the way.
Zac Efron lends his voice to the roll of Ted, a 12-year-old boy who searches out the Once-ler in order to find a Truffula tree.
Ted attempts to win the affections of a young high school girl, starring Taylor Swift as the voice of Audrey.
The phenomenal cast of actors creates a variety of lovable characters.
From Betty White as Grammy Norma to Ed Helms as the Once-ler who informs Ted why all the Truffula trees have vanished; the cast is full of stars.
Danny DeVito does an amazing job as the voice of the Lorax, a fuzzy, mustache-wearing creature who speaks for the trees.
While the light-hearted humor and the cute and cuddly forest creatures produce comic relief, the overly pressed moral dilemma of environmentalism is too emphasized in the end.
The movie forgoes even Seuss’s own advice of allowing a moral to a story remains as an afterthought, not the main purpose for the story.
Despite the message of consumerism and environmental responsibility overshadowing the silly quirkiness of the Lorax, the endearing forest animals and occupying town’s folk make the movie fun.
The animation is exceptional and the story line is entertaining for children.
The most exciting part was searching for the hidden minion (from “Despicable Me”), that viewers were told to look for before attending the film.
While I wanted the film to be a remarkable reminder of Dr. Seuss’s unique creativity, it only left me with a subconscious desire for cotton candy and reminiscent of the trees as I left the theater.
Written by: Tamara Kelly/Staff Writer
Photos by: Dr. Seuss The Lorax/Courtesy Photo
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