Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax opens today, and it’s shockingly bad, says New York’s own David Edelstein. But it’s not just that the movie’s bad (and seems to miss its own point of critiquing consumption and greed). Even the songs leave something to be desired, according to many other critics:
“There are songs here, it’s true, but they’re musical rants
As stale as the crust on your dad’s underpants.
You’ll forget them before this young March hits the ides;
I have heard better tunes on Clay Aiken’s B-sides.” [NYP]
“The movie’s silliness, like its preachiness, is loud and slightly hysterical, as if young viewers could be entertained only by a ceaseless barrage of sensory stimulus and pop-culture attitude, or instructed by songs that make the collected works of Up With People sound like Metallica.” [NYT]
“The film does add pleasantly loopy, if rather forgettable, songs.” [USAT]
“…genial and loopy…” [Variety]
“The song is a rock number called “How Bad Could I Be?” and it would have been high on the pop charts any time between 1988 and 1998. It sounds like something Roger Daltrey might have written for Head Start.” [Boston Globe]
“Meanwhile, the original songs contributed by Paul and score composer John Powell are obviously going for a rock musical vibe but don’t quite hit the desired chord.” [THR]
