We got a nice Trilogy of computer animated Dr. Seuss movies circa 2010s. I guess technically two movies by Illumination and only one by Fox. But even though they’re different studios that made them they not only came out around the same timeframe but feel like they were taking note of each other as they feel fairly similar in style, tone and the way to make a short pre-school stories into a full blown animated featured length film. I didn’t really read Dr. Seuss as a child so I don’t have much nostalgia for any of the stories, but I do a bit ofr the characters. I think the stories while simple work so I check the adaptations from time to time and this time it was the time for the CG times of the 2010s.
The grinch. I start with my favorite Seuss character and favorite story. I don’t like the voice.. too talketalkey and zany. The cg is good. very nice and colorful so it pops. Whoville is intersting to see. I have to admit watching this film gave me PTSD flashbacks from the smash Grinch leak. Crhist in christmas song in a movie, weird but I guess it fits even if it doesn’t. Odd to see a modern setting. Overall the movie is too zany and not a fan of hearing boomer pop music. Distracting for kids. it does have nice effects. It’s a beautiful movie to look at the Xmas stuff it shows. I really don’t care about the kid subplot that was padded on to the film. Neither did we need a Grinch origin story. II mean it’s fine but not something I particularly ever wanted.. Humanizing the grinch seems logical for such a well loved marketable character though I’m not a fan. The movie does overstays its welcome, not a horrible movie but a bit too long. Subplot gets too much time but works out.
lorax:
The movie looks very similar but no cnnection at all to the Grinch, not that it’s stopping me from all of them being in the same continuity. It’s an ecological film. Ecological so I’m a big fan. A short book really, so it’s rather hard to adapt into someting longer. Much more than the other two movies here. I do feel there is a lot of added fluff and story to make it work as a movie and it doesn’t work as well here. This is all about anticapitalism so in a way it’s also not the best ecological movie which subtracts a few points from me. It is too cartoony in its portrayal and I liek cheesy eco stuff like Captain Planet. Nevertheless the movie does a good job as it still hits the feels. Sad happy ending. This long good message coudl’ve been more entertaining if a bit shorter.
Horton Hears a Who:
Blue Sky Studios made Horton hears a Who! Released much earlier than the Illumination ones but you could easily pair it with the other ones. You can really see the difference in animation style and character design despite it being CG. But even with that the others feel like spirital sequels to this take. I do think Horton hears a who had a far more interesting story and they did a much better job to fill the gap and pad out the original tale. It gives us a better story which is much more intriguing. I’m a big fan of the overall message so I saved the best for last. .
I don’t know how books of 15 pages on average that mostly consists of drawings and some small text were able to make three rather decent movies. Dr. Seuss scholars might be able to debate whether they break the spirit of the books or not, but for a dirty casual for me, I either don’t know, don’t care or don’t have an issue with them. Both Fox and Illumination planned to make more movies however, none of those plans ever made it to fruition.
We are getting other CG Dr. Seuss movies but they’re a different studios and they’ll have their own take. I woudl’ve loved to have seen a Cat in the Hat take, though nothing will ever top the unhinged original Live Action movie. These films did a good job but they do elongate things out too much. I mean they arleady succeeded in expanding the stories, there’s no neeed to stretch it out even further.