Dr Suess' The Lorax
Review by Anthony Morris
With The Lorax, Dr Suess wasn't messing around.
His book’s environmental message – that if we don’t take care of what
we have, we’ll end up with nothing – came through loud and clear in the
Once-ler’s tale of greed run rampant.
This vibrantly animated adaptation expands the
tale (perhaps a little too far), which now involves Ted (Zac Efron)
trying to find a tree to help win the heart of his neighbour Audrey
(Taylor Swift) in the all-plastic town of Theed-ville.
Ted’s journey into the wasteland leads him to the
Once-ler (Ed Helms), who tells in flashback how his commercial
interests led to him cutting down the forests over the protests of
their guardian, The Lorax (Danny DeVito).
Expanding Suess’ work to feature-length is always
tricky, and the chase sequences and musical numbers (including a savage
one attacking capitalism as "too big to fail") feel a little cheesy
next to the core tale's elegant simplicity.
Fortunately the animation is bright and
impressive, so even when scenes clunk or feel out of place – and this
is a film where the overall environmental message basically boils down
to "girls like trees and boys like girls" – they at least remain fun to
look at.
Being short and to the point, Dr Suess’ work just
isn’t that suited to feature-length films, but even at its’ worst The
Lorax is bright, fast-moving fun with a message that, if nothing else,
certainly isn't simply tacked on.
2.5 out
of 5
Dr Suess'
The Lorax
Australian release: 29th March,
2012
Official
Site: Dr
Suess' The Lorax
Cast: Danny DeVito, Zac Efron,
Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, Betty White
Director: Chris Renaud
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