The Lorax (2012)
Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, and Danny DeVito
Directed by: Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda
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Grade: B
The film follows the basic plot of the book, but understandably adds much to the basic structure. Ted (Efron) is a 12-year-old boy living in Thneedville, a city where everything, including the plant life, is commercialized and plastic. Wanting to impress Audrey (Swift), he seeks out the Once-ler (Ed Helms), who he hopes can tell him where to find a real tree. The Once-ler tells him a story of his past, about how he made the first Thneed and the Lorax (DeVito) who warned him of the destruction it would bring. While the movie itself is enjoyable, the characters are one dimensional, the story seems a little rushed, and the message of saving the environment is not as subtle as in other movies, such as Wall-E. While it Wall-E, you barely noticed it, in this movie, it smacks you over the head with a brick. The movie itself is gorgeous and the characters are adorable, just a little lacking in the story department.
