The Lorax is eye candy in the most literal of terms. It is an empty film, a film without substance, a film that picks you up and slaps you around with its environmentally friendly message. It is a visually stunning film that really has nothing else to recommend about it.
In The Lorax, two stories share screen time. One is about a boy named Ted (Zac Efron) who is trying to impress a teenager named Audrey (Taylor Swift). Ted decides to go to the Once-Ler (Ed Helms) who tells him the second story about how he summoned The Lorax (Danny DeVito). The main problem with this film is that, within the two stories, nothing happens. It feels like something's missing that could have made it more fun than it actually was.
Perhaps it is the non-presence of the Lorax, who is played with great voice talent by DeVito. The Lorax is barely in this film; most of the story between Ted and the Once-Ler, or Ted and Audrey. These stories that take up most of the film are pretty boring, both with an excessive amount of lame song-and-dance numbers.
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On top of all this, the 3D is only alright—the first thirty minutes being the only times you really get to see 3D, but you see it a lot. Also, the fact that these animated kids' films are getting released in I-Max is, for lack of a better term, dumb. The fact that none of these animated films work in I-Max is bad enough, but the loudness of the sound system and the largeness of the screen will probably scare very little kids, who are the target audience for this film. Don't get me wrong, the film looks good on an I-Max sized screen (I mean, what movie wouldn't?) but it isn't worth $15 to $20, especially if you have kids.
Overall, I can not recommend The Lorax to anyone... It doesn't keep the Seuss spirit we've all come to know and love, and most of it is just plain boring. It will probably be a good distraction for your kids on DVD or Blu Ray, but don't waste your money driving to the theater and throwing down ten bucks to see it.
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2 out of 5 stars
(The Lorax is rated PG, but may be too dark for your little ones, and runs 86 minutes)