Dr. Seuss has been adapted to film many times before and many of those times, the film didn’t feel like there was much Dr. Seuss to speak of, “The Lorax” may be the exception to that rule. Originally published in book form in 1971, “The Lorax” is one of Theodor Seuss Geisel’s, aka Dr. Seuss’, more socially conscious books. Its message isn’t hidden or disguised, in fact it stares you right in the face, “sometimes I think progress progresses too fast.”
The original book made a simple plea, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” It was a message to young children to care about the world around them and to stand up for things they believe in. It was a beautiful message then and it couldn’t be more important of a message for children of today as well.
The movie sticks to the original story better than most Seuss adaptions, although it certainly hammed it up considerably to suit the kind of entertainment that kids of today are accustom to. It follows a kid named Ted who is motivated by something most people and young boys are motivated by at a certain point in their life, a girl. The world Ted lives in has been manufactured. Air is for sale. There are no trees. There is no grass or dirt. So when the object of his dreams, Audrey, tell him the story of the mythical living trees, he goes on a quest to impress and find a tree for her.
“The Lorax” is a lot of fun and has a great message about caring about the world around you. It is a good Dr. Seuss adaption with beautiful Seussish colors and characters. In a world driven by the almight dollar, “Lorax” is probably coming along at a pretty opportune time. I don’t think “Lorax” has enough to push it to the top of the pack as far as animated movies go. It will probably fade into mediocrity after a few weeks, but for now, it’s definitely something children and adults alike will enjoy at the movie theatre.
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