Danny DeVito and Ed Helms star in Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. Coutesy of Universal Pictures
Dr. Seuss’ books, with their whacky imagination, have touched the lives of millions of people around the world. So far, two of the three films based on his classic books have been box office successes. This adaptation however, is less likely to make the cut.
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax takes us into a city where trees are extinct and the citizens buy oxygen from a tyrannical business tycoon. However, one love-struck twelve year old boy ventures out to find The Once-ler – An elderly man who is his only hope in finding a tree to impress the girl of his dreams.
This story admirably tries to embed its critical environmental message into the audience. However many aspects of the production are not up to scratch compared to previous works.
The most disappointing of these shortcomings is the voice acting. There was barely enough energy in every actor’s line delivery giving the dialogue a corny, Saturday morning cartoon feel. Danny DeVito, who is normally excellent in anything he does, delivers one of the most unsatisfactory performances of the group as the mustached Lorax, along with Taylor Swift (Audrey), and Rob Riggle (Mr. O’Hare).
There are also too many lackluster and unmemorable songs, that could have been trimmed from the final cut.
Fortunately, the vibrant colours, cuddly animal characters, solid animation and the screen-popping 3D should keep your little ones entertained.
Bottom Line: Bare minimum entertainment available for the young target audience and nothing more.
Grade C
Runtime: 94 minutes
IMAX: Yes
3D: Yes
