Ostensibly based on the original yarn by Dr Seuss, The Lorax departs from the source material quite significantly in both narrative and spirit, centering around a young boy, Ted (Zac Efron), who journeys across a barren world in search of the last truffula tree seed to win the heart of Audrey (Taylor Swift), the object of his affections. Along the way, he meets the titular Lorax (Danny Devito), and the Once-ler (Ed Helms)- basically the evil, environment-destroying capitalist responsible for the world`s sorry state of affairs.
The film features some stellar CGI, cute critters, song-and-dance routines, and a whack-a-mole freneticism that`ll likely keep the kids compelled. Unfortunately, while the film retains the gist of Dr Seuss`s original message of environmental conservation, it tones down the book`s innate sense of innocence, which is relegated to the final minutes of the film and is buried beneath the film`s mountain of kitsch, cynical tone and smug pop culture references. Director Chris Renaurd, who crafted the deliciously diabolical Despicable Me (2010), seems to have forgotten to bring his touch for creating memorable characters to the table, with the results being tons of comedic filler, but little real content or affection for its dithery characters.
That being said, kids are unlikely to detect the underlying cynicism of The Lorax, which proves to be a visually charming family outing film, but falls short of other animated numbers like Up or Dr Seuss` Horton Hears A Who.
Summary: Adequately cute
Rating: 3/5 stars