The new animated update of Dr. Seuss's environmental classic The Lorax is a lot like its target audience. It never sits still, runs around willy-nilly trying to locate a style that suits it, and bounces off the walls in a unceasing attempt to get your attention. Stealing some attitude from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, ancillary character slapstick from Despicable Me, faux Pixar cuteness, and a message mined from dozens of pro-Earth ecological screeds, it's both winning and whining, unable to settle down long enough to finds its own unique groove. Yet thanks in most part to the way in which directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda handle the majority of the material, and the cheek inherent in Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul's script, what could have been a trial ends up a rather amusing treat.
In the town of Thneedville, everyone bows to the whims of despotic businessman Mr. O'Hare (Rob Riggle), owner of the massive air-producing plant that keeps the city alive. Everything in this prefab place is fake and artificial, and the evil CEO likes it that way. One day, while pining away for his dream gal Audrey (Taylor Swift), idealistic teen Ted (Zac Efron) learns that the way to win her heart is to find a real tree. Since none exist in Thneedville, he is convinced by his Grandmother (Betty White) to go beyond the metallic walls of his home and seek out The Once-ler (Ed Helms), who knows what happened to the forests. Turns out, the hermitlike recluse is responsible for its demise, reneging on a promise he made to the mystical creature called The Lorax (Danny Devito). Now, with only a single seedling left, it's up to Ted and Audrey to avoid O'Hare and bring nature back.
With its life-in-the-balance bottom line and clever combination of consumerism and cartoon whimsy, The Lorax plays a lot like a friendly, less dour version of Wall-E. It's not at the same level artistically or intellectually as the Oscar winner, but it does offer a similar structure. We get the same central idea (find and rescue the last piece of green needed to revitalize a dying ecosystem), a collection of cuddly figures (including mischievous Bar-ba-Loots and Humming Fish), and a baddie who wants to protect his cloistered, insular world. You also get a clueless population spoonfed their kooky creature comforts, a few jabs at our plastic fantastic society, and lots of asides and in-jokes. In fact, one of the flaws here is that directors Renaud and Balda are so busy focusing on the goofball antics of the minor players that the hero and his cause become almost irrelevant. Heck even the title character plays what is basically a supporting part in his own story.It's the difference between pandering and pure moviemaking. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with gearing content toward your intended demo, but when that's all you seem to be doing, the results reek of desperation. There are many times in The Lorax when the pratfalls, bright colors, and splashy 3D imagery seem to be all that matter. Then the movie suddenly remembers its "be nice to nature" message, beating us over the head with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Yet because of its warm and fuzzy facade, its seriousness mixed with silliness, we don't really mind the missteps.
In fact, by the end, The Lorax is a giddy, grin-producing guilty pleasure. You know you shouldn't fall for its made-by-committee charms, but the final product practically dares you to hate it. Sometimes, the dislike is easily distinguished. Most of the time, however, we are awash in well-made, if unruly, whimsy.
