Movie Review: The Lorax

 

Forgive my bad rhyming, keeps criticisms loose; I’m clearly not as good as the great Dr. Seuss. But for a review of The Lorax I couldn’t resist, I wanted to give my writing a Seussian twist.

This film is mediocre and bland through and through, it could have been better for sure this is true. It hammers a message in that’s more of the same, except the execution is terribly lame. I’m not sure what Illumination Studios was thinking, but I imagine they wish their film was less stinking.

The movie definitely had the Dr. Seuss look, but as you’d expect it’s not as good as the book. To a boy age of six the film might have been heaven, but what of the film goer who has aged twenty seven? The jokes fell flat, the entertainment was dumb; halfway through I wanted coke mixed with rum.

It was loud, it was annoying, people broke out in song; the film’s attitude was like a welcome stayed too long. I realize that singing occurs in this sort of flick; but the specific songs in the Lorax are what made me sick. The lyrics were bad, the arrangements were cheesy; it felt like that one show Glee, from the TV.

The message wasn’t as bad as described by FOX News, the environment is something we can certainly lose. But for a CGI movie about saving a tree, why not pop in your blu-ray of WALL-E? It’s smarter, it’s funnier, it’s more bold and more round; and it doesn’t just beat a single thought to the ground.

Compliments for The Lorax are few and far between, but there were a few things that I did find quite keen. The voice acting was ample from some of the gang, mainly from people who had established their name. Ed Helms had spirit, Danny DeVito was funny; but not quite as good as Frank from Always Sunny. Zach Efron’s voice talent is kind of a bummer, did no one have Michael Cera’s phone number?

The animation was great and actually had lots of spark, from that standpoint the film hit the mark. The 3D cost extra and was quite uninspired, this technology is starting to get really tired. Character design was nice sans the villain’s haircut, whomever thought that looked good needs their mouth promptly sewn shut.

This is the same studio that made Despicable Me, which I thought was average but brought others great glee. It seems like this studio often travels the same road, as I felt like both movies suffer from “cute character overload”.

I get it, this movie mainly targets the young; and because of that surely I should hold just my tongue. But all the best animated films seem universal, The Lorax however should have made a reversal. It was mostly too juvenile for anyone but kids, I could tell because at one point I was shutting my lids. I don’t think this film has a place for grown men, and that’s why I’m giving it a  5 out of 10.