Just in time for what would have been Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel’s 108th birthday, the creators of Despicable Me adapt the favorite tale of the beloved children’s author for the big screen, rendering his whimsical 2-D illustrations in shiny, computer-generated 3-D. The moral of the story, published more than 40 years ago, couldn’t be more topical: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot [about trees specifically or the environment generally], nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Unfortunately, in their bid to expand the good doctor’s rhymes to feature length, the filmmakers bookend the fable about the Lorax with a new storyline that distracts and detracts from the core message of the original book.
The boy featured at the start and end of The Lorax now has a name: Ted, presumably in homage to his creator. Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) is smitten with Audrey, named after Geisel’s wife, whose greatest wish in life is to see a real, live tree. You see, Ted and Audrey (Taylor Swift) live in Thneed-Ville, an entirely plastic city with inflatable bushes, mechanical flowers and battery-operated trees sealed off from the outside world. As described in the film’s opening anthem, though, the people of Thneedville, all smooth surfaces and no sharp edges, are happy with the way things are, especially since O’Hare Air bottles and delivers fresh, clean O2 right to your door.
On advice from his whip-smart, totally underestimated Grammy Norma (Betty White), Ted ventures outside Thneed-Ville to track down the Once-ler (Ed Helms) to learn where he can find a tree for Audrey. What he discovers is a dark, depressing wasteland dotted by dead tree trunks, rotting equipment and factory ruins. The Once-ler hides in a booby-trapped lair, ashamed and guilt-ridden about causing the devastation that surrounds him. He agrees to help Ted, but Ted has to listen to what happened to all the trees first.
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