The Lorax (2012) - 6 stars out of 10

The Lorax (2012) - 6 stars out of 10

I wasn't sure how I would react to "The Lorax," knowing that it contains a strong liberal environmentalist message, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film.  Some critics accused it of brainwashing kids but I think that it is simply sending a good message.  It is great for families but has more in common with children's 3D computer animated films than it does with the whimsy of Dr. Seuss.  The story and the characters are generally the same, but all of the dialogue (you know, the thing that distinguishes Dr. Seuss from every other children's author) is completely changed.  The music is fun, the voice acting is well executed, but placing Dr. Seuss' name on the title creates a script-based expectation that does not exist in this rhyme-less dialogue.  I like the addition of Grammy Norma (Betty White), Mr. O'Hare (Rob Riggle), and the expansion of Ted (ZEfron)'s role, but the best characters in the film are the ones that Dr. Seuss wrote.  Ed Helms is perfect as the Once-ler while Danny Devito's attitude is perfect for The Lorax.  This is definitely a great film to share with your kids - you may even find yourself with a tear in your eye at the end - but if you are expecting the classic Dr. Seuss book to come to life, you will not find it here.