Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
Release Date:
March 2, 2012
On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 132/169 |
Max Braden |
I thought the kid's motor scooter was neat, but otherwise the movie didn't stick with me. |
There have been three Dr. Seuss movies released into theaters. Those titles have earned $650 million worldwide. While most of that did not come from The Cat in the Hat (a relative bomb), How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who! were both bona fide blockbusters. The Lorax is similar to Horton Hears a Who! In that it is an animated adaptation of the legendary Dr. Seuss book. Since Horton Hears a Who! earned almost $300 million for Fox, it is readily apparent why Universal has high expectations for this project.
For those of you who missed your childhood, the story of The Lorax is as environmentally friendly as they come. A creature called Once-ler is obsessed with creating objects he calls thneeds, things people need. In order to do so, he cultivates the Truffula Trees across the land. The Lorax arrives to warn him of the dire consequences of such short-sighted behavior, but the Once-ler ignores him. This ill-fated decision to focus upon commerce rather than the land has far-reaching impact with the Once-ler regretting his choice. In the end, he (it?) has the epiphany that the mistake may be undone as new seeds can create a new forest full of Truffula Trees.
The Lorax film adaptation will be a deeper expansion on these themes, only with Zac Efron and Taylor Swift voicing the leads. I bet they sing. It would be a waste if they didn’t because let’s be honest about the fact that Swift’s acting range in Valentine’s Day was the shortest we’ve seen since the short-lived Dane Cook era. Anyway, kids will eat this up and thanks to the growing overseas box office marketplace, The Lorax should become the most popular Dr. Seuss adaptation to date. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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