MOVIE NEWS: The Lorax
Okay, hands up: who here read a ton of Dr. Seuss books when you were younger? Everyone? I thought so! In recent years, we’ve been able to relive some of those books on the big screen, and now Hollywood has decided to make a blockbuster flick out of another of Seuss’s classics: The Lorax. I got a chance to see the new movie at a preview screening last weekend, and I’m here to share some thoughts.
The movie centres around 12-year-old Ted, a boy living in a plastic, processed town called Thneedville. When Ted’s crush tells him all she really wants out of life is to see a real live tree (Thneedville’s trees are all fake), he embarks on a big adventure to leave Thneedville and find The Once-ler, the one person who knows what happened to all the trees.
But who is the mysterious orange being known as The Lorax? And can Ted turn the tide and return trees to Thneedville? You’ll have to catch this flick in theatres to find out!
In the meantime, here are a few observations I had about the movie:
1) It looks great. As you may have noticed on the posters or trailers for this movie, it’s brought to you by the people who made Despicable Me, and it shows. The animated landscape is bright and lush (well, some of the landscape, anyway…), and the 3-D helps to add depth and a sense of realism.
2) It has a good message. This movie, while it has lots of musical numbers and some goofy chase scenes, is all about the environment. It asks us to look at ourselves and the way we live in the world and how we treat it. Always a good reminder!
3) It’s strangely structured. In most movies, flashbacks take up a small portion of the runtime, if they’re present at all. In The Lorax, however, flashbacks make up the bulk of the movie as The Once-ler explains what happened to all the trees. This means we don’t spend a whole lot of time — in comparison — with Ted or any of the characters in the present. Just felt a little odd.
Overall, I thought The Lorax was pretty good. Some of it will appeal most to the younger end of the OWL readership (the Lorax is fuzzy and funny, and there are some super-cute animals), while the pro-conversation message will appeal to the older end.
Do you think you’ll see this movie, OWL readers? Let me know in the comments below!
Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com
I think that I might see the lorax. Soon.
I’m going to see the lorax soon too.
I jus t saw it
Really?
I think I’m seeing it on my birthday or during spring break.
I might watch it 🙂 But I think that the flashback part of it is because the Lorax book is just about what happened to the trees, so they probably wanted to keep some parts that were true to the book.
I might see it… it sounds different than the book, though!
i really use to love the lorax when i was small and i stil do i really wnat to see it
I will sooooo definitly see the Lorax!!!!!!!!!!! I am very excited for it. I am quite in love with the Barbaloot Bears…they are so cuddlible!!!!!!!!!!!!!(is that a word??)
Hannah, 11 🙂
Hey Hannah. Sorry, I think the second half of your comment got cut off. Blog fail!
I absolutely loved this movie I think it should win an Academy Award.
I LOVED THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It should win a Grammy for Best Movie Like Ever!
i cant win a grammy thats music
Ya i really want to see it.
i don’t want to.
Why?
Why don’t you want to watch the lorax vishwa?
Is dr.seuss still i alive?
Hey Caylyn. Sadly, he passed away in 1991 at the age of 87. In his long life, he published an amazing 46 children’s books!
It won’t beat Horton Hears a Who.
Hi Craig!
Were do you get ideas for the next OWL magazine.
I want to see it sooo badly! I think my grandpa is going to take me and my sister on monday, since we have no school. All public schools in B.C. are closed monday,tuesday and wednesday!
March Break Idea! Defeinetly gonna see this
IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA!!!!
Craig, can we have a blog party next week for March Break? Please? We haven’t had one in soooo long!
Awesome idea! I’m on March Break this week and next week 😀
I know, i live in BC too. So Awesome! And sad. I just saw Hugo: sounds babyish, but is really sweet.
I just came back from the Lorax… I loved it and i reccomend it highly .
Me, my brother,my mom and my BFFs toatally loved it!!!!!!!!! And those little bears are sooo cute. I actually went to see it because Audrey is
Taylor Swift. I love that girl!!!!!!!!
Really!?
Andrey is Taylor Swift!?
it was great
Nice!
I saw it…. it was pretty good, but the song and dance numbers were a little out of place and kind of weird…
OMG I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!