“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is bounding cheerfully into theaters on March 2, 2012, and I know what some of you are thinking. Universal Pictures is going to take a beloved childhood story and turn it into a soul-crushing movie. But let’s everyone calm down, because I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Here’s what I think will happen. You’ll sit down in the theater with your popcorn and ice-cold beverage and be amazed and overjoyed at the colorful tale that spreads out before you like a cotton candy forest of sweet treats. Here are five reasons why:
1. It’s directed by Chris Renaud. He directed Despicable Me and was the story artist for Horton Hears a Who!, Robots, and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. I think Renaud will have a good sense of how best to bring this classic story to life.
2. It’s a timely tale about the environment. Well, is there EVER a time when protecting our planet isn’t timely? I think not. The Lorax follows the journey of 12-year-old Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) as he searches for the one thing that will help him win the affection of Audrey (Taylor Swift), the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
3. The voice cast is amazing. First, Efron and Swift are great voices for the characters of Ted and Audrey (named for Dr. Seuss, whose real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel, and his second wife, Audrey Geisel). We’ve also got Danny DeVito as the Lorax, Ed Helms as the enigmatic Once-ler, Rob Riggle as the financial king O’Hare, and Betty White as Ted’s wise Grammy Norma. Betty White!
4. It’s colorful and fun. Just take a look at the trailer below, and see what I mean. Bright streets! Cheerful trees! Cute animals! Bears who eat marshmallows raining down from the sky!
5. The message of hope and determination is inspiring. Yes, these are troubled times, but one person really CAN make a difference. It just takes a little faith and bravery to shift how things have always been done into something new, exciting and wonderful. The town of Thneedville might be made of plastic, but does that mean it’ll always be made of plastic forever and ever? Not when people care “a whole awful lot.”
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