Biggering, it needed it. But it was: "too dark." As they put it, or as I put it: "we are biggering too so we don't want to be hypocritical or moms crying."
The problem with this film was that the original book could get away with story narratives that a movie with the "family friendly" label can't. The book was designed to speak to anyone, and it was designed to be understood by everyone. But because The Lorax is a family film, you're gonna just have to make compromises.
I never realized that in the end, the Once-ler never truly understood what the Lorax was saying. We always think the answer goes to future generations, but that's basically the equivalent of saying you'll do your homework tomorrow, and then getting someone else to do your homework for you. The Once-ler pushed off his responsibilities for years, and then gave the assignment that he should have done himself to a young boy, thereby "freeing" him of responsibility.
I think the Once Ler did know what it means Ted cares for him and as a result Onceler cared for Ted back and trusts him with the seed. And you think that onceler didn’t try to help the environment but everyone resurfaced over and over again until it became too much to handle and locked him away along with a seed that he hopes that someone cares like the unless well and try to do something about the world that person is his grandson, Ted Wiggins. He puts his faith on him and as a result of Ted’s bravery and unwillingness to suffer the same fate like his grandfather, he succeeded to change the minds of everyone in Thneedville because of someone that cared about him a whole awful lot like his mother and grandmother along with Audrey. When Ted came around, everything changed because everything wasn’t better for Edward Wiggins(Middle Name: Robert/Onceler’s name in my version) because no one cared about him and he grown worse due to the emotional trauma and guilt he is suffering through. Once Ler doesn’t deserve to spend years of his life hating himself for something that is incredibly human to do in grieving and self loathing. Once Ler got the happy ending he deserved and I hope that onceler will spend the rest of his days making the world a better place for everybody. (This is my version and I’m aiming to imply that he has a loving wife Norma and a daughter named Helen)
@@genarovargas5661 No, it is most certainly critiquing capitalism. Consumerism isn't a "side-effect," it's a facet of every capitalist society. The Once-Ler (at least in the book and cartoon) sells thneeds with inherent knowledge of the damage thneeds cause to the environment and its inhabitants. He deliberately ignores the Lorax to make a profit and facilitate the growth of his factories. Even after the final tree is cut and his empire collapses, as the video highlights, the Once-Ler still requires you PAY him for the story of how HE killed the land. At the end of the day, he is still fixated on making a profit to the point where he turned his greatest failure and "sin" into a marketing point. Only after telling the child the story does he realize what the Lorax meant by "Unless," but refusing to give up what little ego he has left, he leaves it up to "us," the child to fix his mistake, as so many companies do. Companies pollute the Earth and yet we are the ones who must recycle, they destroy the ozone and yet it is us who need to stop using hairspray, they chop down the trees yet it is us who need to stop buying the product. The Lorax is great for it highlights the two sides of the problem, the company which creates the problem, and the people who fail to fix it through negligence and ignorance. We carry the burden of their mishaps and in most cases intentional malpractices and yet all too often do we refuse to fix the issue. The Thneed is the representation of consumerism, the needless buying of products which do not benefit us in anyway and yet companies claim we require them. The Once-Ler represents both the CEO and the Company at hand, the people who create the product and thus create the issue. The boy is obviously a representation of us, the people. If the Lorax only criticized consumerism then the core message would fall flat because it fails to highlight the larger issue, which IS capitalism. The Lorax failed to convince the Once-Ler to stop, he gate-kept the Lorax's wisdom because he would not dare tarnish his own name. It's clear we've failed both the Once-Ler and the Lorax, the one who gave the message and the one who explained it. It's been nearly 50 years since the Lorax was crafted and the the state of the world has only worsened.
The onceler should have sang “how bad could it be, I see more than one tree”. A this would show how he chooses to ignore the problems he has caused, and instead focusing on how his resources are doing.
I love the idea your getting at, but I feel like it might flow a little better as, "how bad could it be, if there's still more than just one tree". Granted, I haven't heard the song in a really long time.
This movie greatly frustrates me, because it could have been so much more if only they had have the guts to go for it (also if they kept biggering). It really feels like they set the base for a greater impact and then just abandoned it midway.
@@tomfou Maybe not, but I'm still dissatisfied about how this studio went about handling the preservation of the timeless story. Upon looking around at some of the early movie concepts, some of the original ideas and scenes that were scrapped were FAR better fits for the morals this story is supposed to convey. Namely, the cut song, "Biggering". And their reasoning for cutting such scenes boils down to that mere fabrication that it is "too much for kids to handle"
@@vibes8930 Exactly, the higher-ups didn't let them do the story they wanted(which would've included stuff like Biggering) because it hit a bit too close to home.
The original Thneedville Intro Song has a very powerful picture about the consumerism and the main character, like saying that people is never alone because they have the stuff they own and how about you can buy a baby a phone And the Main character's motivation about getting a tree is replaced from "I like this girl" to "all I ever wanted in my life is the stuff that I don't have" so he can be seen as the modern day consumerism influenced young generations
It was a criticism of consumerism at the same time that the plot was very different, and that Ted was a greedy child who only wanted a tree to show off to others.
Also o Hare sings : i sell them something they can get for free while in the original its i sell them something they Should get for free Just something i noticed
I really like that the Once-ler looks like a grown up version of Ted (Zach). That if Ted doesn't listen he could very well be the next Once-ler. Kinda like how if we as a society don't listen and continue destroying the environment we will become the very same capatilists we looked down upon as kids.
yes! that was one of the first things i noticed in the movie which i loved. unlike some people in the comments, aspects of the messages were not too bad and it is clear to the main audience, but i still agree that the overall message should’ve been handled better.
@@byersvhs The movie has some really good things about it. I think the main problem is the double standard. They make an entire movie about saving nature while advertising the movie with cars that destroy nature.
How g-o-od can this video be? its just talking bout some trees How go-od can this video be? Its talking about biggering how go-od can this video be? how bad can it possibly be?
the sad part is the origonal ideas were really good. teds love interest wasn't a part of the movie, ted (zach effron) was just a spoiled brat who wanted a tree because "pretty". the song Bigering implies that the onclers deterioration into a villain was going to be a much more dramatic and relistic shift where he KNOWS he's doing wrong and he doesn't care as long as the company grows. which I think would be a good turn around for this specific depiction of the onceler showing even a person with the best intentions can become a capitalist. the original music was intense I haven't heard all the demos but it felt like the music and over all tone was going to be completely different. I feel like there's a select group that just thinks the lorax is about trees or the environment but its just as much about captaliam and this version would have definitely gotten it across. I'm so mad because a writer confirmed this song was removed because the higher ups wanted it gone claiming its "to dark." in reality they didn't want to show corruption for what it was because they themselves are a corrupt company that only makes things for money. the original concept seems really cool and now I REALLY want to see it. Unfortnetly we got THIS instead.
In response to your question, the movie was going to be darker and cruder, being faithful to the book, there are 9 demos and they are the following: -thneedville demo -The Once-ler's Traveling Madness -This Is the Place -I Love Nature -You Need a Thneed -Nobody Needs A Thneed -Everybody Needs a Thneed -Biggering -Let It Grow Gospel Ending (Demo) They are the demos of the movie that were going to be the filler of the movie since it was going to be a MUSICAL. Ted was going to be a greedy kid who wanted a tree to show off to others of course he changes when he hears the whole story of the once-ler. the once-ler was someone shameless and cynical and more greedy despite changing due to ambition from the beginning it was not going to be good also that he knew what he was doing but he did not care as the song tells us. The lorax was going to be more serious as the biggering song indicates. O'Hare was more serious about being mature and even showed his true intentions. The citizens knew what was happening in the city but they did not care, they became conformists to the point of seeing it normal. all this led to one of the darkest animated films, with a crude and more direct message
@@estela654 DAMMIT WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN SUCH A GOOD MOVIE. 😭 Mind you, 8 year old me loved The Lorax, but 19 year old me wants this darker version of the movie instead now. Especially Biggering.
I definitely think that the girl should have been the main character cuz she's literally the only character throughout the movie who actually gives a shit about trees
But it would kinda be wrong since she likes the trees for materialistic reasons and the usefulness of them. Like in the movie where I think she said she wanted one in her yard.
that’s true but it was for the wrong reasons, she doesn’t care about the trees, she just wanted a tree because it was exotic and something she didn’t already have, the same reason a lot of teens care about phones
@@jeremyghostland8155But then maybe she could learn that the value of nature from the tree is more important that the material value, so that could be a lesson in the movie as well.
I feel like they could’ve kept the story of the original movie, and added one small thing, that would’ve changed it forever; Upon the Once-ler saying “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better- its not,” the kid should have retorted “Unless someone like you has a change in their heart, the cycle will continue until we all rot. This seed that you have and the joy it may bring, how do we know you won’t do the same thing? Chopping and slashing and hacking and more, how do we know that your markets won’t soar?” They could have extended the movie’s runtime by forcing the Once-ler to acknowledge his actions and rectify them, taking the original message and adding to it.
Interesting enough, I have this ending I imagined in my head for the original since the ending was unknown. I actually like to imagine that the onceler didn't acc change. Like, AT ALL. And that he was actually using the kid and manipulated to plant the seed so he can chop it down and continue his business. Ik it's cynical and not the happy ending where the world gets fixed and the onceler is now planting trees and the lorax comes back, but idc. The whole point of an unknown ending is so you can interpret as you please
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” -last line of the Lorax “What's wrong producers, or whoever was in charge? Hit too close to home?” -Cittymondo, comments section under fan-made biggering storyboard
I have to say I really appreciate this read of the movie. The 2012 Lorax movie is possibly my most hated movie because of the ways it mangled the message of the original story. Though this analysis does give me some basic appreciation for some of the things this movie tried to do. I doubt it will ever stop annoying me but this at least helps to see it in a more nuancesd context.
- Hey, Onceler, you are the one who destroyed environment, right? - Yes - And you're in possesion of the last tree seed - Yep - So you could plant the tree and redempt yourself! - Makes sense to me - Then go ahead and plant the seed - Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better
If I remember correctly the “Zach Affron kid” was originally supposed to be more of a materialist, which I think was going to be the original direction of the movie next to the original original story.
That romance thing was so unnecessary and forced in there, I hoped for a fresh take on these types, showing more or less the big flaws such as being too spoiled
I do really like how the Once-ler looks very similar to the kid, the stand-in for the audience. Meaning even that kid listening to the tale could become the Once-ler
so glad to see more people genuinely critiquing this movie! a few years ago i was absolutely obsessed with figuring out where it went wrong and planning my own 'fixes' (but also admiring the lovely concept art), because the lorax as a story genuinely has so much theatrical potential. i hope one day we can get an improved version!
I once told my mother about the incredible anxiety I feel because of global warming and how grown ups say that it's younger peoples job to fix it and that's why I like Greta Thumberg because she gets it. Her reaction was "Melissa, just don't think about it" and then went on a weird rant about how Greta Thumberg is bad because she only complains.
I'm sorry you have a parent who does that. My mom loves Greta Thumberg, but doesn't really do much about Climate Change(except having an electric car, and cutting a bit down on using plastic). Truthfully I don't do as much as I should either and I'm trying to do more since I think it's a really big issue because so many people just put the fate of our planet on the back burner instead of actually doing nothing.
@@teardrop6392 well to be real the only significant thing you could do is to get your house to be solar or wind powered aswell, reducing the consume of less plastic is important too, but reusing shit is the most important thing, take taht in count
Heh, I like how positive you are Drawpinion Dump! It's refreshing to see you compare and contrast all of the versions of this story an talk about all of their weaknesses and strengths without just hating on version and trying to prove why one version is better then the others! Thank you for not focusing on your opinions of the stories and rather why what they represent as a whole is important and how they all accomplished it in different ways, and how they each could have told it a little bit better!
I ironically love this Lorax movie by Illumination because it's so memeworthy, especially the songs, and ridiculously hypocritical. Too bad the intended version got scrapped because the heads at Illumination and Universal Pictures are obviously capitalists and hated it. Also Onceler is a capitalist counterpart of Snufkin. Was I only teen boy who had crush on Onceler? Luckily as an adult, I don't obsess after him anymore.
I would've had it so Ted is actually poor and can't afford air, and so is his girlfriend, who tells him about O'Hare's cousin, who calls himself The Onceler. I would've included the song Biggering, as it would showcase The Onceler's transition from neutral to evil better than How Bad Can I Be. I would also have O'Hare do a reprise of it, talking about how profitable his air is, and doing it for free just wouldn't be right in his case. End it where O'Hare loses business in a darker way, now that his name has been tarnished, and is forced to populate his cousin's cottage, who has now ascended to the heavens, finally fulfilling his purpose, and was forgiven for his sin.
Regarding Ted, i think it'd be impactful if he was more or less the kind of kid who was spoiled a lot and just wants more (the thneedville demo gives a glimpse of that original concept), it wouldve given him contrast with the onceler, and wouldve made a better character arc with his selfish ways slowly turning into realization
@@harbour2118 the thneedville demo didn't say that the plot was very different and that ted was a selfish kid who only wanted a tree to show off to others.
@@estela654 well its implied he would be, the kid is singing how he wanted the things he doesnt have, a tree is the most likely candidate since all he does have are plastic and fake, aybe not selfish but definitely spoiled and needy
I live in an area that has so rapidly been building up a city. Areas that were acres and acres of wild land when I was younger are being turned into complexes and malls every day and it really makes me sad. There's one intersection in particular that used to have these massive trees lining the path to an old abandoned little house. They were the biggest trees I've ever seen, probably older than my grandparents. Since the area is changing so much, a company bought the rights to that land a few years ago and cut them all down. I remember the day after it happened, someone left a little Lorax plushie on the stump of one of the trees,, so I know I wasn't the only one really upset that they got cut down. That place is a bowling alley/restaurant now. Completely needless as there's a bowling alley just about 20 minutes away. -_- There used to be pretty much nothing in that area until you hit the shopping center further up the road, but now it's all concrete and new chain stores that are less than 5 minutes away from another of the same exact store. (I'm looking at you starbucks, you aren't that necessary). I hope the older generations continue to become more aware and take action, cause almost everyone I know around my age is constantly stressed about the environmental destruction, yet feels like there's nothing substantial we can do except try to put our faith in older people who actually have power.
It's all for money. They've converted old farmland and forests near me into these tall apartment complexes. It's been a few years since completion and from what I heard from neighbors is that half the units aren't even occupied. The land was formerly owned by the town and of course they say yes when the developer offers them millions of dollars for it. One plot of about a dozen acres near me sold for $7 million. They don't care that there's not even enough people to live there and now we're stuck with an ugly half empty complex, just that they're getting a big check. Not even mentioning all the wildlife habitat that got destroyed.
The old version of the opening song is better along with Biggering. Like instead of Ted being a massive simp, he is motivated to find a tree because of his greed to have more.
I thought this was about to be another video of "the 2012 need to be more like the book and first movie", but you brought very, very interesting points and view on the world of the Lorax, and how it can showcase and criticize aspects of our society and world. I like it!
Brain blowing observation about the original Onceler, and I think you hit the nail( and rest of the payment) on the head with noting the lacking areas of the newest film. Where IS the downside to this new world of plastic? Maybe show a town that didn’t want to, or couldn’t pay the price for clean air, show the very real consequence of being disconnected from nature-stress, poor sleep cycles, a mind that can’t defrag! Yet as you point out, nothing would change for the worse if trees don’t return in this world. There are no consequences, only guilt. This movie focuses on relationships, and dose that well, the expanded lore(ax) is intriguing, but for a story about nature vs industry, even in past tense, the focus wasn’t there. The special still dose it better!!
One of my favourite aspects of the 1972 cartoon is how they paint the once-ler finding the trees and thinking of using it to make his thneed as more of an accident they don't outright say it but it really paints a picture of everything and anything can have unintentional consequences
In the storyboard of the lorax, The somg biggering which wasnt used had some lyrics that were very specific: "I Wont Stop Biggering" If he did stop biggering, his workers would leave and other competing companies would eat up his reputation
Millennials were raised on the book/old cartoon. Gen z was raised on the movie. Thus being why we're way more chaotic. (This is just a joke. I'm Gen Z and I saw the cartoon and book first so don't worry this isn't stereotyping)
Likewise I'm a millennial and while I read the book and saw the cartoon when I was a kid, I saw the movie at a time when the weight of what it represented impacted me a lot more.
I think it would have been cool If they made the onceler the main villain like completely cut O'Hare out of the movie and have the once they're still not learn his lesson and start selling air since he destroyed the environment
This way O'Hare isn't just a one-note villain he also has the backdrop of being the onceler who's hiding the secret of destroying the environment Is a way of padding out the story more but without having to add more characters just adding more characterization
Okay, now I want an argument between the protag and the onceler about who should bear the burden of rebuilding before coming to an agreement that neither of them can do it alone. Anyone else think that?
Here's my personal belief on how they approached the movie and the way it was written. The original was made in like the 60's or 70's, or something (I don't have the info in front of me) and the message to the next generation was along the lines of 'Things are bad now, but we have time and resources to turn them around if you care enough'. But with this one, the previous generation has grown up and done little. So now it's worse. The message with this one was closer to 'Enough. We have a world that is dying, people are taking advantage of that desperation and we need you to put an end to it NOW.'
Ya, but it's so fricking annoying how the message is still being targeted at the new generation(Gen Z) and basically telling them that ONLY they can change the world, and the older generation doesn't have to take the blame for what they have done.
@@teardrop6392 I hadn't gotten that far in the video when I made the comment. But I totally agree! Why is it their job?! Their responsibility to clean up their messes?
@@shadowpuppet8192 yeah even thought Gen-Z should still do something it shouldn’t be only us, it should be everyone or even just the older generation because they were the ones who caused the problem and is still encouraging it/doing it. There’s only a few options right now which is recycling and trying to save our nonrenewable resources which most people don’t even do because they prefer to throw away things and still drive when you could easily walk. I always thought it was weird how adults said “oh the world sucks but y’all gonna be to fix our problem that we caused for us alright kiddos :)” like what we’re literal children and your adults who buy things and decide to do dump oil into the sea. Adults are terrible nowadays and barely good.
@@shadowpuppet8192 This film was actually Audrey Geisel's idea, who is Dr. Seuss's wife. Chris Meledandri who founded Illumination was an executive Producer for Horton Hears a Who. Since that film got decent reviews, Audrey trusted Chris M/ Illumination to do another Seuss story properly. BOY she must have felt betrayed!!!!!!
An interesting concept I thought up once about O'Hair was instead of making him a one dimensional bad guy make him more sympathetic. The idea would be that O'Hair sees the world being destroyed around him people are dying from bad air. He transforms Thneed ville into a place that can survive the now unlivable environment basically turning it into a giant bio dome(basically machines are used to transform Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen but they are not the most reliable) (Those who venture outside wear masks) It isn't perfect and has many problems(food shortages, air quality sometime going bad making people sick, or building up of waste and chemicals) but it is livable and O'Hair creates a culture of people who ignore the bad and instead are blindly happy. O'Hair establishes himself as the leader and believes that he and he alone can keep the remainder of humanity alive. He opposes trees so much because A. nature had failed them once whose to say it wouldn't do it again and B. abandoning the current system could be a huge risk that may end up wiping out the rest of humanity. I think this makes O'Hair a much more interesting villain rather than the one sided bad guy we see in the movie. I do realize that there are real life business men who act like O'Hair(looking at you Nestle) but I just think this O'Hair would make for a better character overall than what we got. It also could be possible to still work in a greedy or bad motivation for O'Hair. Maybe he is only using this as an excuse to justify his action or something.
The Once-ler's original Designs really make more sense than the human designs he got in the movie, the stylized Suess looks are more appealing to my eyes than anything else.
I like the idea of keeping him a faceless villain, because it shows that anyone could be in the once-ler’s situation. It also probably would’ve prevented his tumblr fanbase from ever becoming a thing. They should also have taken a darker approach because the subject is something that should been taken seriously.
I like how in the most recent version it doesn’t just point the finger at one greedy man but instead shows the problem to be a societal one, that it’s the greed of the consumer that fuels the greed of the producer.
I feel like the reason The Once-ler gives the last seed to The Kid & says "Unless" is because it's been decades since he had any kind of power & it took him that long to understand The Lorax's last message. He might've had the power to fix the problem when The Lorax first left, but now, he's just an old man in a ruined monument to his former success. The Kid, on the other hand, has the potential to grow into a formidable force for good & fix what The Once-ler broke with the community behind him in the years to come. It's still unfair, yes, but I can see where The Once-ler's coming from. He has no hope to fix the problem himself & no community to help him. Decades of contemplating on "Unless" made it so that he could never fix it. It's somewhat tragic that this man did so much evil, got abandoned by everyone once he couldn't do more of it, and after figuring out how to redeem himself years later, had no power to act on it.
I didn’t see the 2012 animation- it when It came out- I first saw it a year ago and omg I SOBBED! The idea of him striving after this success and validation to be LOVED- and failing to see and accept the paradise in front of him. And when he can’t be this successful person anymore the love goes, because it was only conditional. Because if you can’t accept true love and keep going after this toxic validation you hurt everyone who loves you and yourself, but if you let it go and embrace true love then you will have to accept you have never really been loved before
i have the feeling the lorax movie originally started out a lot more creative and challenging but then executive meddling forced them to soften the characters and message for marketability :/ i just see a clusterfuck of missed opportunities with that movie
I am so proud to live in a country that plants more trees every year than we could ever cut down. We might live off of the forest, but we constantly make sure no permanent damage is done.
Paper mainly comes from recycled paper and forest gestion as well as leftovers of wood crafting. Deforestation is not caused for paper. It is caused for food. Meat especially.
@@blade7y156this honestly, i’m so sick and tired of people thinking that paper is the biggest problem, when it is in fact good to cut down a few trees, to give new trees space to live, and as you say, it is often made of leftovers from carpentries it’s just bad when we don’t do it responsibly
The Biggering it needed the Biggering but that touched too deeply on what they as a studio had become and would be far too hypocritical for them to allow that message in their film.
i personally think that making the onceler human was a bad decision. hes “someone just like us”, and seeing his backstory immediately makes us feel sympathetic for him, and thats exactly what we DONT need for billionaires killing the planet. theyre not “someone just like us”, theyre actual monsters, imo less humane than the average person.
That could have been an interesting idea if it had been executed well. Maybe he could be human, once. But as he descends deeper and deeper into his pride and greed, less and less of his humanity is shown, until he becomes something alien, cruel and unjustifiable. Instead of ignorant, make him calculated. From a person, he changes into a faceless embodiment of the greedy corporate destruction. A caricature. Make him have some humanity, just to make it so much more impactfull when he finally, and completely willingly, chooses to abandon all of it in pursuit of wealth and power. Instead of the 'oh no, dear me, my familly is pressuring me into doing something I don't want to, but oh well, how bad could it be? I'm destroying the world? My bad, who could've seen it? Oh well, too late!', change it into something along the lines of 'I saw the risks. I know what I'm doing, and I do all of it for myself, and myself only. I want so much more, and I'm never satisfied. I'm destroying the world? Fine. Let it burn, until I gain everything, until I squeaze every last bit of reasources from this earth, _let it burn_ .'
Nope, making the Once-Ler human was the right thing to remind us that anyone with a good heart can become corrupted by greed, but giving him no face was still the better idea, to show us that he can be anyone.
I disagree with you there. Making the Once-ler human, shows how good intentions can still have bad consequences. The billionaires killing the planet are personified in O'Hare. I thought this video made that clear.
a little side note, I think the items the kid must give the Onceler represents what the mass media will need to prevent/repair environmental damage. 15 cents represents money, a nail represents labor, and the shell of the great-great-grandfather snail represents time since we will most likely not be able to see the change but future generations.
I think if the Onceler had something to cover his face in the past, like a bandana of sorts showing only his body language and eyes, it would still deliver the message of "This guy represents faceless corporations" just like what people hated about showing his face. If they really want to, they can take off his bandana at the end of the movie, which removes the argument that Melendandri predicted about "the Onceler is a faceless monster that isn't human so they aren't me." because then the message becomes a mix of "Behind every faceless corporation that could be anyone is still a human being, one that may or may not fix his mistakes even if it looks like it is too late."
One thing that always weirded me out is how Ted didn't actually care about the truffula trees, only about getting Audrey's attention. If Audrey was the protagonist, it would've been more concise
Is it just me, or has this movie gotten popular recently? I mean, this movie has been popping up all over TH-cam. I can't be the only one who noticed this.
The fake trees have air dispensers in them (you can see the guy replace them), so I assume it’s like a water bill tax or something for each area of land you have, but with air. They also live in a dome I’m pretty sure, a little bubble in a wasteland.
Love the fact that illumination forgot they were illumination and didn't realize they would do what they always do with their characters and use them for marketing. I mean... I would LOOOVE to see LORAX in a Mcdonalds ad. Wouldn't it be sooo cooool if they took the dude that speaks for the trees and nature... To sell incredibly poluting stuff for big coorporations so he may have his own face on the market? NIIIIICE
Couple of things... I’ve never seen the Lorax adaptations on tv (well I have, but never in English) so I’d never heard The Onceler out loud... my ENTIRE LIFE! I thought it was pronounced On-celer, and not Once-ler, that blew my mind for no reason, because THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE FOR THE STORY! And I can’t believe I never figured it out, I always wondered what was up with the onceler’s name XD The other thing is, goddamn are your videos good, they’re entire essays wonderfully explained, and by golly am I jealous of your way of formulating yourself and your point. ... My third point is how ABSOLUTELY SOOTHING your voice is, like, it’s really relaxing and very nice to listen to. Which makes the already good videos, even better!
I like that the Lorax didn't say anything when he left. He can no longer speak for the trees because there are no more trees. He literally couldn't speak anymore, which is a really neat detail to add.
I'm not a fan of the movie by a *long* shot, but it's always good to see someone doing an in-depth analysis instead of just dumping on it. Thank you for the video!
This is a very interesting look at the movie. Glad somebody was able to notice some interesting things the movie does decently, while also explaining the under-development of such concepts.
I feel like a Lorax movie adaptation should be an extremely dark if not a horror centric story. It's about the death of the world and the man who caused it realizing that not only can he never reverse these actions, but all he can do now is sit and hope someone else makes a change. Due to the once-ler's inaction and deliberate ignorance, the last trees were chopped down and everything in the environment died. The only thing left is the person who caused its destruction, forced to look upon the lands he killed.
Fun fact: in the extended version of the “thneedville” song, O’haire says, “I’m selling something you can get for free!” Or something, showing how they don’t *need* the bottled air, but they think they do.
Another way of solving the factory shutdown leading to workers being left with no income is to have, for example, a planned economy and support workers regardless of if there is that factory.
The problem of the 2012 movie is that it failed to show why the status quo should change. The problem of the movie should not center around the corporatocracy that has been created in Thneedville and of the environmental disaster but instead on the human problem. Exploitation will happen under any economic system because the failure does not primarily lie within the design of the systems. Human greed is what drives people like the Once-ler and O'Hare to benefit at the expense of the environment, and their pride is what prevents them from stopping. The scrapped song "Biggering" beautifully expounds upon this concept and in the song the Lorax describes exactly why the Once-ler's greed is unsustainable and evil. The problem of human evil also applies to the citizens of Thneedville. They struggle to give up their "perfect" lifestyle to save something that is intrinsically good. However, the 2012 movie fails to paint this picture and unfortunately failed to deliver a profound and timeless message.
Not only that, but with the oncler he has also been pressured by his family- this idea that under a capitalist system your worth is inherently tied to your value and how much success you can bring. It makes you crave validation and admiration. Not only is that a system wide thing but it can start and come from family and honestly it makes it feel so much more real and emotional to me. Like last year when I first saw it I was SOBBING! But also like he is unable to accept the real love that is around him from the Lorax and the forest, meaning that he will destroy himself and them in the process, because he wants to be loved so badly by his family. He is seeking this conditional toxic love and it destroys real love he could have had.
Once-Ler was unaware of the damage he was doing at first, and eventually became aware and prioritized his bottom line without thinking about replanting.
It needs to not suck. Like it changes the whole point on the story, like the new one Ted only wants to get a tree because of a girl and his home town is fine. In the original his town is a wasteland and he needs trees to fix his home.
Holy shit I just realized that the ideas the movie presented were actually good and could have given the story a bit more meat. But the execution is… you know
Imagine the Onceler being contrasted with a Muchler. Someone who also cuts one tree to the Lorax's upset, but proves themself much better yet. "Please do keep calm, I do get the matter, but I've cut but the one, and the wood will be a ladder! I'll take as I need from the tree tops, and leave them grow more instead of just rot." Makes, say, Phneeds, let's say, for the parallels. "We must respect nature, that much is true, but I'm part of nature, and so are you!" And as the Onceler biggerings bigger, we cut back to Muchler, less imposing of a figure. His side less worn, his operation still puny, he looks at the factories and thinks it quite dooming!
I feel like The Once-Ler's "payment" was more like a code, he wouldn't tell you the story unless you proved you wanted the story, and if you would hear him out, you'd get the seed that ultimately brings back wildlife.
A darker Lorax story could've focused on clean air becoming a commodity when not in the Once-ler's flashbacks by having the main character being in the equivalent of Slums, with their family forced to use cheaply made and barely functional gas masks, with them having to replace the parts every week, just to be able to breathe.
Okay so here's my view on this movie. There's two things that are hampering it. It has story elements that are just all over the place sometimes because they had to expand the runtime longevity, even if it doesn't make sense narratively. And then perhaps what's an even bigger problem is that it's about a very touchy topic that the original book and cartoon conveyed extremely well. But because the company funding the production team didn't want to portray corperate entities in the light that the original story was designed to do to tell it's morals, it just had to be watered down. There is a scrapped scene called "Biggering" for those who don't know. It's portrayal of the Once Ler was in much closer alignment with the original story. I read somewhere that the production team cut the song and scene because it was "too relentlessly dark". But it's pretty obvious what the *real* reasoning was. But had that scene, along with other interesting scrapped plot narratives that actually fit in closer proximity to the original story been implemented to the movie, I think it could have been a more worthy adaptation to Dr. Seuss's original work.
The reason the Once-ler didn't plant a tree was because we felt like he would destroy everything he touched. Plus he still needed other trees to get rid of CO2 so the trees don't die immediately. The only place he had a chance was Thneedville because it was the only place a tree could thrive.
The only reason they did not include Biggering wasn't because it was "too dark" or "scary for children". It's simply because this portrayed bad corperations in general, including Illumination, they did not want to do that to appear bad (even though they are). They made the much more cutesy, addictive, How Bad Can I Be? And that SUCKS ASS, Biggering could've been the biggest, most electrifying, and most genuinely menacing animated villain moments.
“How bad can I be” is a song about the Onceler not realizing the wider impact of his actions. As a song, it fits the movies version of the character better, but doesn’t fit the overall message as well as the cut song. “Biggering” is a song about the Onceler being fully aware that he’s hurting more than just the trees, but he doesn’t care. It’s a song about how greed can consume people, and destroy the future. The song fits the moral and theme so well, but has one major issue: it really doesn’t work with the movies Onceler without more setup. There’d have to be about 5-10 more minutes of flashbacks in the movie to transition from compassionate young man, to the head of a destructive company.
The 70s cartoon got me teary eyed at the end. It was powerful, bleak for a good chunk of it, but still hopeful in the end. I had no interest in the Illumination film, but the fact it could’ve been something great in another world makes me sad.
Biggering, it needed it. But it was: "too dark." As they put it, or as I put it: "we are biggering too so we don't want to be hypocritical or moms crying."
Sit down with myself was WAY lighter and it got the message across just fine
@@tahraethestoryteller6079 the problem comes when the movie wanted to also have another massage, not just on cutting trees.
Ya, we were robbed
The problem with this film was that the original book could get away with story narratives that a movie with the "family friendly" label can't. The book was designed to speak to anyone, and it was designed to be understood by everyone. But because The Lorax is a family film, you're gonna just have to make compromises.
Yep I can tell
th-cam.com/video/ZbE0pI_sZ_o/w-d-xo.html
I never realized that in the end, the Once-ler never truly understood what the Lorax was saying. We always think the answer goes to future generations, but that's basically the equivalent of saying you'll do your homework tomorrow, and then getting someone else to do your homework for you. The Once-ler pushed off his responsibilities for years, and then gave the assignment that he should have done himself to a young boy, thereby "freeing" him of responsibility.
I AM THE BORAX
I SPEAK FOR THE DRAINS
but like yeah i agree
@@GlaceonStudios Haha whoops, I didn't realize I made a typo. That was just a thing my tablet's autocorrect did and I failed to catch it.
@@LoraCoggins I assumed so.
I think the Once Ler did know what it means
Ted cares for him and as a result Onceler cared for Ted back and trusts him with the seed. And you think that onceler didn’t try to help the environment but everyone resurfaced over and over again until it became too much to handle and locked him away along with a seed that he hopes that someone cares like the unless well and try to do something about the world that person is his grandson, Ted Wiggins. He puts his faith on him and as a result of Ted’s bravery and unwillingness to suffer the same fate like his grandfather, he succeeded to change the minds of everyone in Thneedville because of someone that cared about him a whole awful lot like his mother and grandmother along with Audrey. When Ted came around, everything changed because everything wasn’t better for Edward Wiggins(Middle Name: Robert/Onceler’s name in my version) because no one cared about him and he grown worse due to the emotional trauma and guilt he is suffering through.
Once Ler doesn’t deserve to spend years of his life hating himself for something that is incredibly human to do in grieving and self loathing.
Once Ler got the happy ending he deserved and I hope that onceler will spend the rest of his days making the world a better place for everybody.
(This is my version and I’m aiming to imply that he has a loving wife Norma and a daughter named Helen)
@@GlaceonStudios
I am the Lorax
I Speak for the Trees
**is a movie critiquing capitalism**
**gets ruined because of capitalism**
ohh the irony
"This is what I call Pride!"
-The Lorax-
Go figure eh?
Now THAT is a critique of capitalism
Uhm, in the way I see it, The Lorax doesn't criticizes capitalism but criticizes a side-effect of it that is consumerism
@@genarovargas5661 No, it is most certainly critiquing capitalism. Consumerism isn't a "side-effect," it's a facet of every capitalist society. The Once-Ler (at least in the book and cartoon) sells thneeds with inherent knowledge of the damage thneeds cause to the environment and its inhabitants. He deliberately ignores the Lorax to make a profit and facilitate the growth of his factories. Even after the final tree is cut and his empire collapses, as the video highlights, the Once-Ler still requires you PAY him for the story of how HE killed the land. At the end of the day, he is still fixated on making a profit to the point where he turned his greatest failure and "sin" into a marketing point. Only after telling the child the story does he realize what the Lorax meant by "Unless," but refusing to give up what little ego he has left, he leaves it up to "us," the child to fix his mistake, as so many companies do. Companies pollute the Earth and yet we are the ones who must recycle, they destroy the ozone and yet it is us who need to stop using hairspray, they chop down the trees yet it is us who need to stop buying the product.
The Lorax is great for it highlights the two sides of the problem, the company which creates the problem, and the people who fail to fix it through negligence and ignorance. We carry the burden of their mishaps and in most cases intentional malpractices and yet all too often do we refuse to fix the issue. The Thneed is the representation of consumerism, the needless buying of products which do not benefit us in anyway and yet companies claim we require them. The Once-Ler represents both the CEO and the Company at hand, the people who create the product and thus create the issue. The boy is obviously a representation of us, the people. If the Lorax only criticized consumerism then the core message would fall flat because it fails to highlight the larger issue, which IS capitalism. The Lorax failed to convince the Once-Ler to stop, he gate-kept the Lorax's wisdom because he would not dare tarnish his own name. It's clear we've failed both the Once-Ler and the Lorax, the one who gave the message and the one who explained it. It's been nearly 50 years since the Lorax was crafted and the the state of the world has only worsened.
Didn't even watch this yet, but it needed the Biggering
- The words of a wise person
And that’s a fact
A-fine-something-that-all-people-need.
I’m learning it on guitar just to flex
@@LuSteyx ABSOLUTE MONARCH
The onceler should have sang “how bad could it be, I see more than one tree”. A this would show how he chooses to ignore the problems he has caused, and instead focusing on how his resources are doing.
personally, i really hate that lyric.
@@extrablandchaos2149 honestly I do too
I love the idea your getting at, but I feel like it might flow a little better as, "how bad could it be, if there's still more than just one tree". Granted, I haven't heard the song in a really long time.
@@tortis6342 maybe
How ba-aa-ad can it be?
If there's still more than one tree?
@Kellan I like yours honestly a lot better than the one in the comments
This movie greatly frustrates me, because it could have been so much more if only they had have the guts to go for it (also if they kept biggering). It really feels like they set the base for a greater impact and then just abandoned it midway.
Yeah it sure seem that way.:/
It's because since it's a "family friendly" movie, and the company producing it doesn't want to make itself look ugly, you can't do much about it.
I mean lets be honest, abandoning it midway wasn't the creators choice.
@@tomfou Maybe not, but I'm still dissatisfied about how this studio went about handling the preservation of the timeless story. Upon looking around at some of the early movie concepts, some of the original ideas and scenes that were scrapped were FAR better fits for the morals this story is supposed to convey. Namely, the cut song, "Biggering". And their reasoning for cutting such scenes boils down to that mere fabrication that it is "too much for kids to handle"
@@vibes8930
Exactly, the higher-ups didn't let them do the story they wanted(which would've included stuff like Biggering) because it hit a bit too close to home.
The original Thneedville Intro Song has a very powerful picture about the consumerism and the main character, like saying that people is never alone because they have the stuff they own and how about you can buy a baby a phone
And the Main character's motivation about getting a tree is replaced from "I like this girl" to "all I ever wanted in my life is the stuff that I don't have" so he can be seen as the modern day consumerism influenced young generations
It was a criticism of consumerism at the same time that the plot was very different, and that Ted was a greedy child who only wanted a tree to show off to others.
That sounds so cool. I wish they went with that concept
Also o Hare sings : i sell them something they can get for free while in the original its i sell them something they Should get for free Just something i noticed
Also shows that "wanting" something isn't always bad.
I really like that the Once-ler looks like a grown up version of Ted (Zach). That if Ted doesn't listen he could very well be the next Once-ler. Kinda like how if we as a society don't listen and continue destroying the environment we will become the very same capatilists we looked down upon as kids.
yes! that was one of the first things i noticed in the movie which i loved. unlike some people in the comments, aspects of the messages were not too bad and it is clear to the main audience, but i still agree that the overall message should’ve been handled better.
@@byersvhs The movie has some really good things about it. I think the main problem is the double standard. They make an entire movie about saving nature while advertising the movie with cars that destroy nature.
how go-o-o-ood can this video be? idk probably gonna be real good
Love this
yea it was real good
Where is your icon from?
Exactly the 500th like!
How g-o-od can this video be? its just talking bout some trees How go-od can this video be? Its talking about biggering how go-od can this video be? how bad can it possibly be?
One word: Biggering
yesssss
At first I didn`t realize, I needed all this stuff.
@@alienfrograbbitchannelmove4229 I had a little cottage, and that cottage was enough...
A place where I could sit and knit...
@@PLAGUE-KARM a place where I could sell my Thneeds...
the sad part is the origonal ideas were really good. teds love interest wasn't a part of the movie, ted (zach effron) was just a spoiled brat who wanted a tree because "pretty".
the song Bigering implies that the onclers deterioration into a villain was going to be a much more dramatic and relistic shift where he KNOWS he's doing wrong and he doesn't care as long as the company grows. which I think would be a good turn around for this specific depiction of the onceler showing even a person with the best intentions can become a capitalist. the original music was intense I haven't heard all the demos but it felt like the music and over all tone was going to be completely different.
I feel like there's a select group that just thinks the lorax is about trees or the environment but its just as much about captaliam and this version would have definitely gotten it across.
I'm so mad because a writer confirmed this song was removed because the higher ups wanted it gone claiming its "to dark." in reality they didn't want to show corruption for what it was because they themselves are a corrupt company that only makes things for money.
the original concept seems really cool and now I REALLY want to see it. Unfortnetly we got THIS instead.
In response to your question, the movie was going to be darker and cruder, being faithful to the book, there are 9 demos and they are the following:
-thneedville demo
-The Once-ler's Traveling Madness
-This Is the Place
-I Love Nature
-You Need a Thneed
-Nobody Needs A Thneed
-Everybody Needs a Thneed
-Biggering
-Let It Grow Gospel Ending (Demo)
They are the demos of the movie that were going to be the filler of the movie since it was going to be a MUSICAL.
Ted was going to be a greedy kid who wanted a tree to show off to others of course he changes when he hears the whole story of the once-ler.
the once-ler was someone shameless and cynical and more greedy despite changing due to ambition from the beginning it was not going to be good also that he knew what he was doing but he did not care as the song tells us.
The lorax was going to be more serious as the biggering song indicates.
O'Hare was more serious about being mature and even showed his true intentions.
The citizens knew what was happening in the city but they did not care, they became conformists to the point of seeing it normal.
all this led to one of the darkest animated films, with a crude and more direct message
@@estela654 DAMMIT WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN SUCH A GOOD MOVIE. 😭 Mind you, 8 year old me loved The Lorax, but 19 year old me wants this darker version of the movie instead now. Especially Biggering.
I definitely think that the girl should have been the main character cuz she's literally the only character throughout the movie who actually gives a shit about trees
But it would kinda be wrong since she likes the trees for materialistic reasons and the usefulness of them. Like in the movie where I think she said she wanted one in her yard.
that’s true but it was for the wrong reasons, she doesn’t care about the trees, she just wanted a tree because it was exotic and something she didn’t already have, the same reason a lot of teens care about phones
the lorax?
She lacked the will
@@jeremyghostland8155But then maybe she could learn that the value of nature from the tree is more important that the material value, so that could be a lesson in the movie as well.
I feel like they could’ve kept the story of the original movie, and added one small thing, that would’ve changed it forever;
Upon the Once-ler saying “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better- its not,” the kid should have retorted “Unless someone like you has a change in their heart, the cycle will continue until we all rot. This seed that you have and the joy it may bring, how do we know you won’t do the same thing? Chopping and slashing and hacking and more, how do we know that your markets won’t soar?”
They could have extended the movie’s runtime by forcing the Once-ler to acknowledge his actions and rectify them, taking the original message and adding to it.
Awesome
This is BRILLIANT
based
Somebody get this dude a production studio
Interesting enough, I have this ending I imagined in my head for the original since the ending was unknown. I actually like to imagine that the onceler didn't acc change. Like, AT ALL. And that he was actually using the kid and manipulated to plant the seed so he can chop it down and continue his business. Ik it's cynical and not the happy ending where the world gets fixed and the onceler is now planting trees and the lorax comes back, but idc. The whole point of an unknown ending is so you can interpret as you please
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” -last line of the Lorax
“What's wrong producers, or whoever was in charge? Hit too close to home?” -Cittymondo, comments section under fan-made biggering storyboard
Oh yeah that guy, he was the GOAT
I have to say I really appreciate this read of the movie. The 2012 Lorax movie is possibly my most hated movie because of the ways it mangled the message of the original story. Though this analysis does give me some basic appreciation for some of the things this movie tried to do. I doubt it will ever stop annoying me but this at least helps to see it in a more nuancesd context.
could you elaborate on why you hated it? i’m just curious
Why do you hate it?
I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees
if you dislike this video you'll wake up with no knees
i guess 7 people want to wake up kneeless
15 people are now knee-less
wait wha-
you get two extra knees for liking
@@moss5356 Wh--
Does this mean I have four knees now?
- Hey, Onceler, you are the one who destroyed environment, right?
- Yes
- And you're in possesion of the last tree seed
- Yep
- So you could plant the tree and redempt yourself!
- Makes sense to me
- Then go ahead and plant the seed
- Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better
If I remember correctly the “Zach Affron kid” was originally supposed to be more of a materialist, which I think was going to be the original direction of the movie next to the original original story.
the boy was going to be greedy and materialistic,
he even has a discarded song about him wanting a tree to show off to others
That romance thing was so unnecessary and forced in there, I hoped for a fresh take on these types, showing more or less the big flaws such as being too spoiled
@@harbour2118ok but now _everybody_ simps for Taylor Swift. So...
Missed opportunity to call the title “What the Lorax Thneeded”
I do really like how the Once-ler looks very similar to the kid, the stand-in for the audience. Meaning even that kid listening to the tale could become the Once-ler
Ted could be the Two's-Ler
@@6ix_4our twice-ler
I have a theory that Ted is actually The Once-ler's Grandson
@@6ix_4our O'Hare could be the Twice-ler, Ted's the Third-ler.
@@sunsetlover123-y7c The Onceler Is Too Tall For O'hare To Be The Twice-ler
so glad to see more people genuinely critiquing this movie! a few years ago i was absolutely obsessed with figuring out where it went wrong and planning my own 'fixes' (but also admiring the lovely concept art), because the lorax as a story genuinely has so much theatrical potential. i hope one day we can get an improved version!
Don't worry. I have officially revised and rewritten the script of The Lorax (2012).
@@danielsvetlichny5721 yeah can we see it?
@@danielsvetlichny5721 I too would like to see it.
I once told my mother about the incredible anxiety I feel because of global warming and how grown ups say that it's younger peoples job to fix it and that's why I like Greta Thumberg because she gets it. Her reaction was "Melissa, just don't think about it" and then went on a weird rant about how Greta Thumberg is bad because she only complains.
I'm sorry you have a parent who does that. My mom loves Greta Thumberg, but doesn't really do much about Climate Change(except having an electric car, and cutting a bit down on using plastic). Truthfully I don't do as much as I should either and I'm trying to do more since I think it's a really big issue because so many people just put the fate of our planet on the back burner instead of actually doing nothing.
@@teardrop6392 well to be real the only significant thing you could do is to get your house to be solar or wind powered aswell, reducing the consume of less plastic is important too, but reusing shit is the most important thing, take taht in count
@@msmlolmanpolybrige0335 south america is 69 parallel universes ahead of you buddy
@@hipopino hum i live there and no that is not true lol, people still dont do shit for the enviorment :p
@@hipopino ohh nvm i get it, yeah we re use the plastic bags, you know, the plastica bag drawer
11:09 He probably waited for someone to pay him, and take the seed so that if that someone failed he could just shift the blame onto that person.
Heh, I like how positive you are Drawpinion Dump! It's refreshing to see you compare and contrast all of the versions of this story an talk about all of their weaknesses and strengths without just hating on version and trying to prove why one version is better then the others! Thank you for not focusing on your opinions of the stories and rather why what they represent as a whole is important and how they all accomplished it in different ways, and how they each could have told it a little bit better!
I ironically love this Lorax movie by Illumination
because it's so memeworthy, especially the songs, and ridiculously hypocritical. Too bad the intended version got scrapped because the heads at Illumination and Universal Pictures are obviously capitalists and hated it. Also Onceler is a capitalist counterpart of Snufkin.
Was I only teen boy who had crush on Onceler? Luckily as an adult, I don't obsess after him anymore.
You're gay?
@@piretiris8223 I'm bi.
Ok
A boy with a former crush on the once-ler, who openly admits this? Now that is truly unique!
@@thefunnyman8073 ideed my guy
I would've had it so Ted is actually poor and can't afford air, and so is his girlfriend, who tells him about O'Hare's cousin, who calls himself The Onceler. I would've included the song Biggering, as it would showcase The Onceler's transition from neutral to evil better than How Bad Can I Be. I would also have O'Hare do a reprise of it, talking about how profitable his air is, and doing it for free just wouldn't be right in his case. End it where O'Hare loses business in a darker way, now that his name has been tarnished, and is forced to populate his cousin's cottage, who has now ascended to the heavens, finally fulfilling his purpose, and was forgiven for his sin.
Dang that's deep
Regarding Ted, i think it'd be impactful if he was more or less the kind of kid who was spoiled a lot and just wants more (the thneedville demo gives a glimpse of that original concept), it wouldve given him contrast with the onceler, and wouldve made a better character arc with his selfish ways slowly turning into realization
@@harbour2118 the thneedville demo didn't say that the plot was very different and that ted was a selfish kid who only wanted a tree to show off to others.
@@estela654 well its implied he would be, the kid is singing how he wanted the things he doesnt have, a tree is the most likely candidate since all he does have are plastic and fake, aybe not selfish but definitely spoiled and needy
I live in an area that has so rapidly been building up a city. Areas that were acres and acres of wild land when I was younger are being turned into complexes and malls every day and it really makes me sad. There's one intersection in particular that used to have these massive trees lining the path to an old abandoned little house. They were the biggest trees I've ever seen, probably older than my grandparents. Since the area is changing so much, a company bought the rights to that land a few years ago and cut them all down. I remember the day after it happened, someone left a little Lorax plushie on the stump of one of the trees,, so I know I wasn't the only one really upset that they got cut down. That place is a bowling alley/restaurant now. Completely needless as there's a bowling alley just about 20 minutes away. -_- There used to be pretty much nothing in that area until you hit the shopping center further up the road, but now it's all concrete and new chain stores that are less than 5 minutes away from another of the same exact store. (I'm looking at you starbucks, you aren't that necessary). I hope the older generations continue to become more aware and take action, cause almost everyone I know around my age is constantly stressed about the environmental destruction, yet feels like there's nothing substantial we can do except try to put our faith in older people who actually have power.
It's all for money. They've converted old farmland and forests near me into these tall apartment complexes. It's been a few years since completion and from what I heard from neighbors is that half the units aren't even occupied. The land was formerly owned by the town and of course they say yes when the developer offers them millions of dollars for it. One plot of about a dozen acres near me sold for $7 million. They don't care that there's not even enough people to live there and now we're stuck with an ugly half empty complex, just that they're getting a big check. Not even mentioning all the wildlife habitat that got destroyed.
The old version of the opening song is better along with Biggering. Like instead of Ted being a massive simp, he is motivated to find a tree because of his greed to have more.
all the demos of the movie are much better than the official ones
I thought this was about to be another video of "the 2012 need to be more like the book and first movie", but you brought very, very interesting points and view on the world of the Lorax, and how it can showcase and criticize aspects of our society and world.
I like it!
in our day and age, the onceler would be an e-boy tiktoker calling the lorax a Karen
I nearly cried after the video… the end of your video is so god damn true and it’s so hurtful
I find it adorable how you put a spoiler warning for an over 40 year old book for children.
Great video btw
Ted was named after dr seuss and his love interest was named after his wife
that's actually kinda sweet.
@@tortis6342 well, he cheated on her while she was suffering with cancer.
@@noemisanchez5749 what a charming individual.
@@noemisanchez5749 and I oop-
Brain blowing observation about the original Onceler, and I think you hit the nail( and rest of the payment) on the head with noting the lacking areas of the newest film. Where IS the downside to this new world of plastic? Maybe show a town that didn’t want to, or couldn’t pay the price for clean air, show the very real consequence of being disconnected from nature-stress, poor sleep cycles, a mind that can’t defrag! Yet as you point out, nothing would change for the worse if trees don’t return in this world. There are no consequences, only guilt. This movie focuses on relationships, and dose that well, the expanded lore(ax) is intriguing, but for a story about nature vs industry, even in past tense, the focus wasn’t there.
The special still dose it better!!
The worst thing about this movie is that they used the lorax in over 60 sponsorships deals including ads for cars😂
One of my favourite aspects of the 1972 cartoon is how they paint the once-ler finding the trees and thinking of using it to make his thneed as more of an accident they don't outright say it but it really paints a picture of everything and anything can have unintentional consequences
In the storyboard of the lorax, The somg biggering which wasnt used had some lyrics that were very specific: "I Wont Stop Biggering" If he did stop biggering, his workers would leave and other competing companies would eat up his reputation
No one will harm a single tree,
If the Lorax is given and RPG
I am The Lorax, I speak for The Tree's
If You cut one down, You'll wake up with no Thneed's
Millennials were raised on the book/old cartoon.
Gen z was raised on the movie.
Thus being why we're way more chaotic.
(This is just a joke. I'm Gen Z and I saw the cartoon and book first so don't worry this isn't stereotyping)
hi junko
Likewise I'm a millennial and while I read the book and saw the cartoon when I was a kid, I saw the movie at a time when the weight of what it represented impacted me a lot more.
I'm a millennial and I saw the movie first. Still haven't found the book to read nor have I seen the original cartoon.
Tbh as a gen z I agree lol
As a fellow gen Z, I can agree that we are extremely chaotic
As someone who was in the actual target demographic for The Lorax, finding Oncest art in the internet was my villain origin story
Your poor thing :,)
I think it would have been cool If they made the onceler the main villain like completely cut O'Hare out of the movie and have the once they're still not learn his lesson and start selling air since he destroyed the environment
This way O'Hare isn't just a one-note villain he also has the backdrop of being the onceler who's hiding the secret of destroying the environment
Is a way of padding out the story more but without having to add more characters just adding more characterization
That would have been awesome
would have been amazing
Okay, now I want an argument between the protag and the onceler about who should bear the burden of rebuilding before coming to an agreement that neither of them can do it alone. Anyone else think that?
yess, the onceler (older gen.) should no longer hide away anymore, and start helping ted (young gen.) to restore their environment
Clearly they should have had a Vietnamese speaking Lorax
What?
I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees. And the trees speak Vietnamese.
It needed a much better song writer. The songs in that movie are earworms, and not the good kind.
Look up "biggering" it's an early version " of how bad can I be" that is a lot better (and darker )
All of the demo songs/ cut out stuff seems better.
Blasphemy.
I gotta disagree there- The songs are a banger, but they needed Biggering, it was much better than any of the others and darker.
And Ted was a simp, which ruined the whole movie.
Here's my personal belief on how they approached the movie and the way it was written. The original was made in like the 60's or 70's, or something (I don't have the info in front of me) and the message to the next generation was along the lines of 'Things are bad now, but we have time and resources to turn them around if you care enough'. But with this one, the previous generation has grown up and done little. So now it's worse. The message with this one was closer to 'Enough. We have a world that is dying, people are taking advantage of that desperation and we need you to put an end to it NOW.'
Ya, but it's so fricking annoying how the message is still being targeted at the new generation(Gen Z) and basically telling them that ONLY they can change the world, and the older generation doesn't have to take the blame for what they have done.
@@teardrop6392 I hadn't gotten that far in the video when I made the comment. But I totally agree! Why is it their job?! Their responsibility to clean up their messes?
@@shadowpuppet8192 yeah even thought Gen-Z should still do something it shouldn’t be only us, it should be everyone or even just the older generation because they were the ones who caused the problem and is still encouraging it/doing it. There’s only a few options right now which is recycling and trying to save our nonrenewable resources which most people don’t even do because they prefer to throw away things and still drive when you could easily walk. I always thought it was weird how adults said “oh the world sucks but y’all gonna be to fix our problem that we caused for us alright kiddos :)” like what we’re literal children and your adults who buy things and decide to do dump oil into the sea. Adults are terrible nowadays and barely good.
@@ahhhamy4667 Millennial here. We're trying to fix things while also trying to keep our own heads afloat.
@@shadowpuppet8192 This film was actually Audrey Geisel's idea, who is Dr. Seuss's wife. Chris Meledandri who founded Illumination was an executive Producer for Horton Hears a Who. Since that film got decent reviews, Audrey trusted Chris M/ Illumination to do another Seuss story properly. BOY she must have felt betrayed!!!!!!
Of course Illumination was gonna butcher The Lorax.
An interesting concept I thought up once about O'Hair was instead of making him a one dimensional bad guy make him more sympathetic. The idea would be that O'Hair sees the world being destroyed around him people are dying from bad air. He transforms Thneed ville into a place that can survive the now unlivable environment basically turning it into a giant bio dome(basically machines are used to transform Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen but they are not the most reliable) (Those who venture outside wear masks) It isn't perfect and has many problems(food shortages, air quality sometime going bad making people sick, or building up of waste and chemicals) but it is livable and O'Hair creates a culture of people who ignore the bad and instead are blindly happy. O'Hair establishes himself as the leader and believes that he and he alone can keep the remainder of humanity alive. He opposes trees so much because A. nature had failed them once whose to say it wouldn't do it again and B. abandoning the current system could be a huge risk that may end up wiping out the rest of humanity. I think this makes O'Hair a much more interesting villain rather than the one sided bad guy we see in the movie. I do realize that there are real life business men who act like O'Hair(looking at you Nestle) but I just think this O'Hair would make for a better character overall than what we got. It also could be possible to still work in a greedy or bad motivation for O'Hair. Maybe he is only using this as an excuse to justify his action or something.
The Once-ler's original Designs really make more sense than the human designs he got in the movie, the stylized Suess looks are more appealing to my eyes than anything else.
This is absolutely why they should have kept Biggering. There would have been more time for things to get even worse afterwards
I like the idea of keeping him a faceless villain, because it shows that anyone could be in the once-ler’s situation. It also probably would’ve prevented his tumblr fanbase from ever becoming a thing. They should also have taken a darker approach because the subject is something that should been taken seriously.
I like how in the most recent version it doesn’t just point the finger at one greedy man but instead shows the problem to be a societal one, that it’s the greed of the consumer that fuels the greed of the producer.
I feel like the reason The Once-ler gives the last seed to The Kid & says "Unless" is because it's been decades since he had any kind of power & it took him that long to understand The Lorax's last message. He might've had the power to fix the problem when The Lorax first left, but now, he's just an old man in a ruined monument to his former success. The Kid, on the other hand, has the potential to grow into a formidable force for good & fix what The Once-ler broke with the community behind him in the years to come.
It's still unfair, yes, but I can see where The Once-ler's coming from. He has no hope to fix the problem himself & no community to help him. Decades of contemplating on "Unless" made it so that he could never fix it. It's somewhat tragic that this man did so much evil, got abandoned by everyone once he couldn't do more of it, and after figuring out how to redeem himself years later, had no power to act on it.
I didn’t see the 2012 animation- it when It came out- I first saw it a year ago and omg I SOBBED! The idea of him striving after this success and validation to be LOVED- and failing to see and accept the paradise in front of him. And when he can’t be this successful person anymore the love goes, because it was only conditional. Because if you can’t accept true love and keep going after this toxic validation you hurt everyone who loves you and yourself, but if you let it go and embrace true love then you will have to accept you have never really been loved before
i have the feeling the lorax movie originally started out a lot more creative and challenging but then executive meddling forced them to soften the characters and message for marketability :/ i just see a clusterfuck of missed opportunities with that movie
in fact if it started like this originally
I am so proud to live in a country that plants more trees every year than we could ever cut down.
We might live off of the forest, but we constantly make sure no permanent damage is done.
Which country is that?
It's ironic that The Lorax was originally implemented in a book. Because, you know, books? Paper? Trees?
Paper mainly comes from recycled paper and forest gestion as well as leftovers of wood crafting.
Deforestation is not caused for paper. It is caused for food. Meat especially.
@@blade7y156this honestly, i’m so sick and tired of people thinking that paper is the biggest problem, when it is in fact good to cut down a few trees, to give new trees space to live, and as you say, it is often made of leftovers from carpentries
it’s just bad when we don’t do it responsibly
Remember when they made car commercials with the lorax when this movie was being advertised?? Capitalism is a monster.
I remember IHOP one especially 😅
Commenting for the algorithm, haven't watched it yet. I do know this is going to be wonderful though. This video needs Biggering. God bless ya! Woo!
The Biggering it needed the Biggering but that touched too deeply on what they as a studio had become and would be far too hypocritical for them to allow that message in their film.
i personally think that making the onceler human was a bad decision. hes “someone just like us”, and seeing his backstory immediately makes us feel sympathetic for him, and thats exactly what we DONT need for billionaires killing the planet. theyre not “someone just like us”, theyre actual monsters, imo less humane than the average person.
Agreed.
That could have been an interesting idea if it had been executed well. Maybe he could be human, once. But as he descends deeper and deeper into his pride and greed, less and less of his humanity is shown, until he becomes something alien, cruel and unjustifiable. Instead of ignorant, make him calculated. From a person, he changes into a faceless embodiment of the greedy corporate destruction. A caricature. Make him have some humanity, just to make it so much more impactfull when he finally, and completely willingly, chooses to abandon all of it in pursuit of wealth and power.
Instead of the 'oh no, dear me, my familly is pressuring me into doing something I don't want to, but oh well, how bad could it be? I'm destroying the world? My bad, who could've seen it? Oh well, too late!', change it into something along the lines of 'I saw the risks. I know what I'm doing, and I do all of it for myself, and myself only. I want so much more, and I'm never satisfied. I'm destroying the world? Fine. Let it burn, until I gain everything, until I squeaze every last bit of reasources from this earth, _let it burn_ .'
@@astraregulus2672 That's actually a great idea that I've never heard anyone suggest before. I would love to watch a version of the Lorax like that.
Nope, making the Once-Ler human was the right thing to remind us that anyone with a good heart can become corrupted by greed, but giving him no face was still the better idea, to show us that he can be anyone.
I disagree with you there. Making the Once-ler human, shows how good intentions can still have bad consequences.
The billionaires killing the planet are personified in O'Hare. I thought this video made that clear.
Who else wants ed helms to sing biggering 10 years later, I think his voice would fit the song well
OKAY BUT I LOVE HOW YOU POINTED OUT THE BAG *AND* THE GOOD.
(Forgot the best part; Once-ler is hot as fuck and you cannot convince me otherwise)
The Lorax himself needed two semi automatic pistols. That would have shut everything down in a heartbeat
The trees wouldn't have been harmed if the lorax was armed
fr
a little side note, I think the items the kid must give the Onceler represents what the mass media will need to prevent/repair environmental damage. 15 cents represents money, a nail represents labor, and the shell of the great-great-grandfather snail represents time since we will most likely not be able to see the change but future generations.
I think if the Onceler had something to cover his face in the past, like a bandana of sorts showing only his body language and eyes, it would still deliver the message of "This guy represents faceless corporations" just like what people hated about showing his face. If they really want to, they can take off his bandana at the end of the movie, which removes the argument that Melendandri predicted about "the Onceler is a faceless monster that isn't human so they aren't me." because then the message becomes a mix of "Behind every faceless corporation that could be anyone is still a human being, one that may or may not fix his mistakes even if it looks like it is too late."
We are all in this together! Yeah!
One thing that always weirded me out is how Ted didn't actually care about the truffula trees, only about getting Audrey's attention. If Audrey was the protagonist, it would've been more concise
what about him speaking out about to the townsfolk in the ending about what happened
Is it just me, or has this movie gotten popular recently? I mean, this movie has been popping up all over TH-cam. I can't be the only one who noticed this.
The fake trees have air dispensers in them (you can see the guy replace them), so I assume it’s like a water bill tax or something for each area of land you have, but with air. They also live in a dome I’m pretty sure, a little bubble in a wasteland.
Love the fact that illumination forgot they were illumination and didn't realize they would do what they always do with their characters and use them for marketing. I mean... I would LOOOVE to see LORAX in a Mcdonalds ad. Wouldn't it be sooo cooool if they took the dude that speaks for the trees and nature... To sell incredibly poluting stuff for big coorporations so he may have his own face on the market? NIIIIICE
Couple of things... I’ve never seen the Lorax adaptations on tv (well I have, but never in English) so I’d never heard The Onceler out loud... my ENTIRE LIFE! I thought it was pronounced On-celer, and not Once-ler, that blew my mind for no reason, because THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE FOR THE STORY! And I can’t believe I never figured it out, I always wondered what was up with the onceler’s name XD
The other thing is, goddamn are your videos good, they’re entire essays wonderfully explained, and by golly am I jealous of your way of formulating yourself and your point.
... My third point is how ABSOLUTELY SOOTHING your voice is, like, it’s really relaxing and very nice to listen to. Which makes the already good videos, even better!
When a youtuber spreads the same message better than you could with your own movie.
I was going to say the Lorax needed the Biggering but at least a hundred people beat me to it 💀
That is exactly the problem I always had whenever someone brings up climate change. We have to fix the problem other people made.
I like that the Lorax didn't say anything when he left. He can no longer speak for the trees because there are no more trees. He literally couldn't speak anymore, which is a really neat detail to add.
Tumblr girls wishing the Once-ler would give them his seed
I'm not a fan of the movie by a *long* shot, but it's always good to see someone doing an in-depth analysis instead of just dumping on it. Thank you for the video!
This is a very interesting look at the movie.
Glad somebody was able to notice some interesting things the movie does decently, while also explaining the under-development of such concepts.
I feel like a Lorax movie adaptation should be an extremely dark if not a horror centric story. It's about the death of the world and the man who caused it realizing that not only can he never reverse these actions, but all he can do now is sit and hope someone else makes a change. Due to the once-ler's inaction and deliberate ignorance, the last trees were chopped down and everything in the environment died. The only thing left is the person who caused its destruction, forced to look upon the lands he killed.
Fun fact: in the extended version of the “thneedville” song, O’haire says, “I’m selling something you can get for free!” Or something, showing how they don’t *need* the bottled air, but they think they do.
Another way of solving the factory shutdown leading to workers being left with no income is to have, for example, a planned economy and support workers regardless of if there is that factory.
Old man oncler is just to goofy and adorable
The problem of the 2012 movie is that it failed to show why the status quo should change. The problem of the movie should not center around the corporatocracy that has been created in Thneedville and of the environmental disaster but instead on the human problem. Exploitation will happen under any economic system because the failure does not primarily lie within the design of the systems. Human greed is what drives people like the Once-ler and O'Hare to benefit at the expense of the environment, and their pride is what prevents them from stopping. The scrapped song "Biggering" beautifully expounds upon this concept and in the song the Lorax describes exactly why the Once-ler's greed is unsustainable and evil. The problem of human evil also applies to the citizens of Thneedville. They struggle to give up their "perfect" lifestyle to save something that is intrinsically good. However, the 2012 movie fails to paint this picture and unfortunately failed to deliver a profound and timeless message.
Not only that, but with the oncler he has also been pressured by his family- this idea that under a capitalist system your worth is inherently tied to your value and how much success you can bring. It makes you crave validation and admiration. Not only is that a system wide thing but it can start and come from family and honestly it makes it feel so much more real and emotional to me. Like last year when I first saw it I was SOBBING! But also like he is unable to accept the real love that is around him from the Lorax and the forest, meaning that he will destroy himself and them in the process, because he wants to be loved so badly by his family. He is seeking this conditional toxic love and it destroys real love he could have had.
Who's to say there really was only one seed left. You'd think in a factory that processed the trees they'd be every where on the factory floor.
Once-Ler was unaware of the damage he was doing at first, and eventually became aware and prioritized his bottom line without thinking about replanting.
Fantastic!!!
It needs to not suck. Like it changes the whole point on the story, like the new one Ted only wants to get a tree because of a girl and his home town is fine. In the original his town is a wasteland and he needs trees to fix his home.
I think of the 1972 film first. Luckily I first heard/watched it in college while eating popcorn from what I recognized as a non-recyclable bowl.
Holy shit I just realized that the ideas the movie presented were actually good and could have given the story a bit more meat.
But the execution is… you know
One word.
BIGGERING!
Imagine the Onceler being contrasted with a Muchler.
Someone who also cuts one tree to the Lorax's upset, but proves themself much better yet.
"Please do keep calm, I do get the matter, but I've cut but the one, and the wood will be a ladder!
I'll take as I need from the tree tops, and leave them grow more instead of just rot."
Makes, say, Phneeds, let's say, for the parallels.
"We must respect nature, that much is true, but I'm part of nature, and so are you!"
And as the Onceler biggerings bigger, we cut back to Muchler, less imposing of a figure.
His side less worn, his operation still puny, he looks at the factories and thinks it quite dooming!
Do anyone else hears everything in rhymes after finishing the video?
I don't know what you mean, are your ears full of beans?
Noooooo, stop the rhymes TnT
@@megyumiyoshi1062 It is far too late, you've sealed your fate.
I feel like The Once-Ler's "payment" was more like a code, he wouldn't tell you the story unless you proved you wanted the story, and if you would hear him out, you'd get the seed that ultimately brings back wildlife.
As some rando on twitter once said " I was born in the end of the fuck around generation just to live on the find out generation"
A darker Lorax story could've focused on clean air becoming a commodity when not in the Once-ler's flashbacks by having the main character being in the equivalent of Slums, with their family forced to use cheaply made and barely functional gas masks, with them having to replace the parts every week, just to be able to breathe.
Okay so here's my view on this movie. There's two things that are hampering it. It has story elements that are just all over the place sometimes because they had to expand the runtime longevity, even if it doesn't make sense narratively. And then perhaps what's an even bigger problem is that it's about a very touchy topic that the original book and cartoon conveyed extremely well. But because the company funding the production team didn't want to portray corperate entities in the light that the original story was designed to do to tell it's morals, it just had to be watered down. There is a scrapped scene called "Biggering" for those who don't know. It's portrayal of the Once Ler was in much closer alignment with the original story. I read somewhere that the production team cut the song and scene because it was "too relentlessly dark". But it's pretty obvious what the *real* reasoning was. But had that scene, along with other interesting scrapped plot narratives that actually fit in closer proximity to the original story been implemented to the movie, I think it could have been a more worthy adaptation to Dr. Seuss's original work.
The reason the Once-ler didn't plant a tree was because we felt like he would destroy everything he touched. Plus he still needed other trees to get rid of CO2 so the trees don't die immediately. The only place he had a chance was Thneedville because it was the only place a tree could thrive.
The only reason they did not include Biggering wasn't because it was "too dark" or "scary for children".
It's simply because this portrayed bad corperations in general, including Illumination, they did not want to do that to appear bad (even though they are).
They made the much more cutesy, addictive, How Bad Can I Be?
And that SUCKS ASS, Biggering could've been the biggest, most electrifying, and most genuinely menacing animated villain moments.
The trees can't be harmed if the lorax is armed
“How bad can I be” is a song about the Onceler not realizing the wider impact of his actions. As a song, it fits the movies version of the character better, but doesn’t fit the overall message as well as the cut song.
“Biggering” is a song about the Onceler being fully aware that he’s hurting more than just the trees, but he doesn’t care. It’s a song about how greed can consume people, and destroy the future. The song fits the moral and theme so well, but has one major issue: it really doesn’t work with the movies Onceler without more setup. There’d have to be about 5-10 more minutes of flashbacks in the movie to transition from compassionate young man, to the head of a destructive company.
The 70s cartoon got me teary eyed at the end. It was powerful, bleak for a good chunk of it, but still hopeful in the end. I had no interest in the Illumination film, but the fact it could’ve been something great in another world makes me sad.
I’m glad I stuck around for the last few seconds 😄👍🏻