Review: Dr. Seuss' The Lorax 3D Blu-ray and DVD

Our copy Dr. Seuss' The Lorax has gotten a lot of play since showing up on our doorstep for review.  It's even the title our six year old picked to take along in the car for the DVD player and to her grandparents when she slept over.  Proof positive that it's already a favorite!  I can see why it's a hit with both children and adults.  It's one of those rare films that can entertain both age groups without periods of dullness for either.  The reference to Mission Impossible got a grin from me, and even though she wasn't familiar with the theme music, it was animated cleverly enough to get laughs from her. 
Released at the beginning of the month, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax is vibrantly brought to life in Thneedville.  Life seems to be great for all of its residents, who are protected by the large wall surrounding it. It keeps them safe from the deteriorating environmental conditions outside.  There's no reason for anyone to ever want to leave, the sun is shining, streets are clean, vehicles are large, and it could indeed be a utopia of sorts, all overseen by the town's benefactor the wealthy and uber successful entrepreneur of clean air, Aloysius O'Hare.  He keeps a tight watch on the citizens aided by his trench coat wearing henchmen and cleverly placed cameras throughout the city.

No where in Thneedville are there any real trees, Ted's family even owns one that's battery operated and changes colors for the season.    It's his dream girl Aubrey, who sparks his desire to find a real tree so he can impress her and like all movie heros, end up with the girl.  His quest takes him outside of the wall and into the post apocalyptic looking countryside, where it's dark, eerie, and there are tree stumps as far as the eye can see. This is where Ted can find the one person who can help him, the mysterious character the Once-ler, who tells him the story of Truffala Valley deforestation and the lesson the Lorax tried to teach him. 

Most adult viewers of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax will expect the environmental undertones, but may not expect the message to come in such a delightfully animated, cleverly written, smart and entertaining film.  I've yet to see another character abandon his principals to such a big muscial number with a catchy tune!  Plus the casting of Betty White as Ted's Grammy Norma was ingenious.  The Lorax, while at times gruff and serious, also posesses enough wiseness and caring to make him the perfect foil to O'Hare and one who really does speak for the trees. 
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax is now available on Blu-ray™ 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack ( both sets featuring DVD, Digital Copy and UltraViolet™)  from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Blu-ray™ 3D Combo Pack will also include three brand new mini-movies including:

• Serenade: Two Bar-ba-loots -- one love shy and the other suave and confident -- battle for the heart of their would-be sweetheart with the help of a colorful cast of characters, including the Humming-Fish and Swomme-Swans.
• Wagon-Ho: Two Bar-ba-loots take The Once-ler’s wagon on a ride they won’t soon forget.
• Forces of Nature: Determined to scare The Once-ler out of Truffula The Lorax decides to create the illusion of ominous forces of nature.

We received the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack to review, I love combo packs!  We have a copy for the car and home plus a digital version we still need to download.  I love that with new technology we have even more options for portability and can use our our netbook, tablet, or even smart phones - when I get one of those, I hope soon!  This movie is perfect for family movie night!  Be sure to download the activity sheet, linked above, and learn how to draw a humming fish with the video embedded below.  Both would make fabulous activities to extend family time!  (Subscribers may need to click over to the post to view.)

Disclosure: A complimentary review copy was provided.  The experiences and opinion related within are personal and unbiased.  No other compensation was received.