Like most, my childhood started with the poetic words and messages of the famous Dr. Seuss from which I distinctly remember the story of The Lorax. Having owned the book and the VHS 2D animated film; the revolutionary story was engrained in my mind. However, Dr. Seuss’s tale has been enraptured with controversy because of the anti-capitalist point of view that the lead character takes. This very premise is what made the books what it is today. In the book the Lorax stood for ecology and apposed the gluttonous capitalist reign from the creatures depicted as humans.
From the creators of the hit film “Despicable Me,” comes a newly adapted CGI 3D version of “The Lorax.” The script has been adapted, unfortunately, to fit social convention. If you were a fan of The Lorax book you would only recognize his physical appearance, the character himself differs dramatically and the story line bares little resemblance to the book. Thematically there are a few links to the book shown in the imagery however the film is littered with marketing ploys and brand extension.
It seem that Director Chris Renaud and his script writers have managed to commercialize a story and plot line of a book that propagates anti-capitalist themes through out. By attaching big names in the industry like Danny Devito, Zach Efron and Taylor Swift as voice actors has only done the film a disservice. The humor seems forced and stilted – the film uses awkward moments, misplaced silence and slapstick as the lead comedic devises.
The film however does offer a level of artistry and visually sunning scenes mastered by Illumination Animation Studios. For children it will offer a visually entertaining experience especially in 3D however they may get lost in the content of the film while also finding it difficult to understand most of the humor. Luckily the film does have some action packed scenes along with interesting ways of portraying movement and motion in 3D medium. I would not count on the message of the film hitting home to any of the audience but it is worth it to watch the 3D adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s imagination.
For more information on film times and what to watch log on to flix.co.ke
3 out of 5 Popcorns
