PCP on DVD - The Lorax

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax is a classic fable about the dangers of environmental destruction in the name of greed. The hour long animated movie version from the 70's is still shown in schools today as a teaching lesson. The modern update is more of a corporate cash-in, ironically, given how it was used in advertising for a number of real-life corporations.


The Lorax - 2012, rated PG. My rating: 6 out of 10.

The new version of The Lorax features more musical numbers (which makes sense given stars Zac Efron and Taylor Swift) than the original, but despite the flashiness of the updated animation, the film feels hollow and empty. Unlike many animated films, there is also less here for adults than for kids.

While the film still has the message of environmentalism is good and corporate greed and destruction of the environment is bad, the film just lacks a lot of the heart and joy of Seuss' original work. I'll still show this to my son Jackson when he gets older, but I'll make sure to show him the classic 70's version first.