(March 8, 2012) — Another Dr. Seuss book hits the big screen. First it was The Grinch , then The Cat in the Hat , and Horton Hears a Who . Now comes The Lorax . The Lorax tells the story of a young boy named Ted (Zac Efron) stepping out of Thneedville —a city with fake trees and manufactured air—into the ruins of a once useful land left treeless and smoggy.

Desperately seeking the attention of his crush Audrey (Taylor Swift), Ted sets off to find the old Once-ler in search of a real tree for her. The story unravels as the Once-ler speaks of his greedy life and how it consequently led to the demise of a colorful, lively land filled with furry little creatures and Truffula Trees.

The destruction all started when the Once-ler cut down a Truffula Tree to make a “Thneed,” something that has a thousand uses, awakening the fluffy and crabby Lorax, who “speaks for the trees.” The Once-ler gives Ted the last seed, leaving the future of trees and a better life in his hands.

It is up to Ted to accomplish the difficult task of planting a seed in a fabricated life with fabricated air run by the greedy Mr. O’Hare. The Lorax portrays the theme of protecting the environment, and shows the consequences of greed. Although some may find a movie of the sort boring, it sets a good example for young children all the same. The movie takes on the role of an animated musical that includes some phrases from the book.

The music keeps the movie jolly and fresh. Even the fish hum the theme song from Mission Impossible. The film is slightly different from the book, but the changes are not disappointing. The book starts out with the people of Thneedville, but the book starts out with a boy and moves into the Once-ler’s story.

The end of the movie elaborates on the book, showing what Ted does with his precious truffula seed. The changes are for the better, as they contribute to the overall storyline. The movie really brings the true meaning of book to life while adding more color and excitement to it.

Just like other Dr. Seuss films, The Lorax is an entertaining and funny movie perfect for a family movie night. While enjoyable to watch, it delivers an important message to the younger audience, hopefully enthralling them enough that they apply in their daily lives the simple thought of protecting the environment.

The Lorax is probably one of the best Dr. Suess film adaptations. Utilizing today’s fine technological advancements in animation, a person feels submerged in the vibrant world, almost being able to touch the cotton candy-looking Truffula Trees and the fury little Lorax himself. It makes me wonder, what’s the next Dr. Suess film?