When it comes to children’s literature it’s hard to top Dr. Seuss. The man was a genius, the Shakespeare of his genre and time.
His stories are fantastical, inventive, full of whimsy, and lessons of the timeless nature. Altering them is an act which requires great care, precision, and a whole lot of respect.
It’s been done before, with rather fantastic results. ”The Lorax” is the latest to make a journey to the big screen, and what a big story to tell.
This is a story full of ism’s and their repercussions: Environmentalism, Capitalism, and Industrialism …to name a few.
Who better to start with than the creature of the hour. The Lorax himself begins the tale, setting the scene as the curtain opens.
We open on Thneedville, a bright, vibrant, plastic (literally) town in the middle of a barren wasteland. Air is a commodity with a price and a super-villain hawking it.
In the midst of all this colorful happiness is Ted (Zac Efron), a boy who’s in love with Audrey (Taylor Swift). Unfortunately for Ted, Audrey is way too busy being in love with trees (the real kind) to notice much else.
So Ted, with a little help from Grandma (Betty White), does what any young boy in love would do. He risks his life and the wrath of Mr. O’Hare (an air mogul with a Napoleon complex…voiced by Rob Riggle), to escape the town and find the Once-ler (Ed Helms).
The Once-ler, a character represented purely as arms in the book, has a bit more of a role to play in this story. He tells Ted of the trees, the Lorax, broken promises, and his role in it all. Lessons are learned, villains are unchanged, lives restarted, and several peppy but not particularly memorable songs are sung.
From the very beginning there can be no doubt that this a Dr. Seuss tale. The animation is just as magical as the illustrations we all know and love so well. The tone is one of optimism, wit, and intelligence.
While the general message of the story is intact, the focus of this retelling is uncertain. The added story of Thneedville could have been charming and a nice context for the original tale, but it should not have been the focus of the movie, and it was. Add the addition of an unnecessary and irredeemable second villain, a curtained opening with none at the close, and a few (could have been brilliant) gimmicks, and I was sadly lost.
Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh. It’s an enjoyable enough film. It’s cute, it’s fun. The actual tale of the Lorax and the Once-ler is quite touching and even heart-breaking. In fact, this part of the movie is tragic, familiar, and gets the point across in a far less convoluted way. That makes the shortcomings that much more painful.
I know that many people will say, “Well, it is a kids film.” Shame on you. Kids are smart, kids are perceptive, kids are tough, they can take a few tough lessons, and Dr. Seuss would be ashamed of you for implying otherwise.
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“Five Interpretations of the Lorax”: BBC News
