THE LORAX Review

Release Date: March 2, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG
Directors: Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda
Film Pulse Score: 5/10

“The Lorax,” a lovely, candy-coated film that’s beautifully animated and chock-full of cuteness, isn’t really a film about The Lorax (“a mystical creature as old as time itself”), rather it’s about 12-year-old boy who is trying to impress a girl.  That said, it is a great kids’ film with great music and a lively cast, thanks mostly to the voice talents of Zac Efron (as Ted) and Ed Helms, who (as the “Once-ler”) lets loose on several musical numbers, stealing the film right out from under his more high-profile cast mates.

The nonverbal forest creatures – bears, fish, and geese mostly – bring Pixar-level charm to the screen, and juxtaposed with the very verbal Danny DeVito (the voice of The Lorax), make for a pretty dynamic (and harmonic) support cast, along with Betty White as the adventurous granny.  Taylor Swift, whom I hoped would actually sing some in the film, voices the love interest, Audrey, whom aside from being beautiful and a decent artist, isn’t very fleshed out.

I was a little irritated by a few plot holes, like how Audrey learned about trees in the first place (and somehow knew what they looked like), but I can forgive the movie for trying its best to turn a classic children’s book into a feature film that would also hold our attention.

My favorite part of this movie, by far, was the clever animation and the physics behind each poke, prod, juggle, swerve, zoom, sigh, flip and splash.  The characters’ movements jumped off the screen and were delicately drawn so that there was just enough realism to be engaging but were executed in a way that outshined even the musical numbers.  I could watch it again for the action scenes alone.

In addition, what made the animation so insanely great was also the little, even unnoticeable, details inserted into the corners and crannies of the bright, bold shots of plastic paradise.  Dust particles glimmered when light shone through a window; water dripped onto a desk; and the soft whispers of hair from the pink and orange trees quivered and swayed just so – I could swear I’d known them my whole life.