Theneedville is a city where the only life forms that exist are humans and animals. There are trees, shrubs and lawns but they are made of plastic. It makes you wonder what the herbivores feed on. Gloss over this point and you enter the world of Dr. Seuss, the acclaimed writer of children books upon which this story is based.
Twelve-year-old Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) is infatuated with a girl down the street in Theneedville. Her name is Audrey and she is a dreamer who hopes to see a real tree, to the extent that she is willing to marry the person who presents her with one. Love inspires Ted to do the impossible. Following the advice of his grandma (Betty White), he tracks down the Once-ler (Danny DeVito), a weird creature that lives outside town. The story of the Lorax is then related to him by the Once-ler.
The amazing thing about Dr. Seuss' stories is that they appeal to the young and have relevance to grown-ups. For example in this movie adaptation, it sells the simple message that real plants help us to purify the air. Examining the plot deeper, it also attempts to show how companies like the one run by Mr. O'Hare (Rob Riggle) manipulate and exploit innocent citizens. It also shows what happens when consumerism runs amok.
The 3D visuals play their part in immersing the audience into Theneedville and the vibrant colour palette will definitely appeal to kids. In addition, the soundtracks that are strategically interspersed give this movie a light-hearted feel, but not compromising the messages that it wants to convey.
This is an enjoyable movie especially for kids and an insightful one for all. |