Cees T
From the fairy tale period between "behave or die" and "everything is awesome". 6.5/10 - Dark but good.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/25/24
Full Review
Christopher B
While most Dr. Seuss' film's don't blow be away from a film perspective, each has a viable message and one that usually is timeless and still holds true, even today. "The Lorax" was a television special and while it only runs 25 minutes in length, contains a poignant message about capitalism as well as protecting our earth's natural resources and utilizing them with respect for our planet. In this short piece we witness one's greed and what a lust for money can do to the environment as we lose all our trees to industry. The film still proves very true, maybe even more so now in today's economy then when it was first released. While this is a grave and darker adaptation, both kids and adults can learn some viable ideals from heading the Lorax's warnings.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
11/02/22
Full Review
Audience Member
Don't really have an opinion about it.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
With its appealing animation, faithfulness to the source material with nary any padding in sight and getting its message about protecting nature across in a much less heavy-handed manner than the Illumination movie (the lack of hypocritical marketing tie-ins helps), the '70s adaptation of The Lorax is, just like the 1966 Grinch cartoon, a television special that's an absolute timeless classic.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
Full Review
matthew d
Remember the message and the trees!
Hawley Pratt's animated short film The Lorax (1972) is an adorable family picture with a sadly timeless environmentalist message about protecting the forests, air, and water before it's too late. Dr. Seuss' writing is so striking as he critiques capitalism, deforestation, product marketing, greed, ignorance, economic depression, dishonest economics, real estate markets, air pollution, water pollution, animal relocation, animal extinction, and littering all in one brief story. The Lorax remains an important tale to be told to all boys, girls, and adults as well for we live on one planet that we must all share or perish on together if we fail to protect our shared living space. Dr. Seuss' writing will live on for its heartfelt authenticity and creative rhyming structure that teaches an imperative moral.
Pratt's direction is neat as he gets to the heart of The Lorax' dire, earnest, progressive message through The Lorax' cute sincerity and indignant attitude. He represents the progressive political party and environmentalist protesters against corporate destruction of trees, breathable air, and livable clean water. It's fitting that The Oncler's vicious, insatiable greed will not let him listen to The Lorax' pleas with any respect, reverence, or fairness. The Oncler is the perfect metaphor for ignorant conservatives not heeding the warnings of scientists and doctors about our dying planet Earth and its safe conditions. Having The Lorax end with hopeful desolation will surely shock the viewer into listening to The Lorax' kind words of wisdom and crucial warning. Hawley Pratt was a fantastic direction to keep The Lorax endearing and humorously portray a significant concern of Dr. Seuss' that affects all of humanity.
The Lorax is just 25 quick minutes that fly by thanks to the gorgeous hand drawn animation, memorable songs, witty lyrics, thoughtful approach, and dark realism that is unique for Dr. Seuss. You'll enjoy the deceptively bright songs and once you're older, you'll realize how clever Seuss really was all the time. The vivid colors for the lush trees and hand painted backdrops are quite beautiful and serene. I still adore the little fuzzy orange environmentalist symbol of The Lorax.
In short, The Lorax is still my favorite Dr. Seuss animated short for its undeniably powerful parable. Protect the environment and the trees! Heed The Lorax!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
While a well-animated movie and modern interpretation of the Dr. Seuss classic, unfortunately it didn't impact me the way the book did when I was a kid. The Lorax is my favorite Dr. Seuss book. It always seemed like the most serious. And when I saw the first animated interpretation of the book as a child, the story flat-out depressed me. This one, not so much. It wasn't a bad movie, but the Lorax him(it)self was not as prominent in this movie as I would have expected him to be. There is a time during the movie where he is, but other than that 20 minute piece, he is almost an afterthought. And because of that, the message wasn't as impactful.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/16/23
Full Review
Read all reviews
>
