Film reviews: Dr Seuss’ The Lorax | The Fairy | The King Of Devil’s Island | The Man Inside

By Siobhan Synnot
Published on 22/07/2012 00:10

Siobhan Synnot on the rest of this week’s new cinema releases...

Dr Seuss’ The Lorax (U) **

The wonderful thing about Dr Seuss’ books / is that they tell simple stories in just a few looks.

This isn’t the case with the movies they make; / they stretch them out longer, and liberties take.

Now the movie making folk behind Despicable Me / have made a cartoon about two kids and a tree.

Truffula trees used to grow just like weeds / but the Once-ler destroyed them for clothes known as thneeds.

Zac Efron’s the boy, Taylor Swift is his chum. / Plus Ed Helms does the voice of the tree-hating bum.

And the Lorax is played by Danny DeVito; / he’s a sort of environmentalist, the colour of Cheetos.

Perhaps the noise and the colour will engage younger viewers / but what of the book and the big business it skewers?

We’ve been stuck with a musical that feels kind of sappy / (and the original ending really wasn’t that happy).

On general release from Friday

The Fairy (12A) ***

Comedy trio Dominque Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy do their best Jacques Tati impersonations in a frothy absurdity involving three wishes, pratfalls, romance and madcap chases. If your wish is for a very gentle piece of Belgian whimsy, consider it granted.

Dundee Contemporary Arts, tonight; Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Friday until 30 July; Glasgow Film Theatre, Friday until 29 July

The King Of Devil’s Island (12A) ***

In a film based on a true story, Stellan Skarsgård is the governor of a boys’ reformatory on an otherwise deserted island. Benjamin Helstad is his juvenile Cool Hand Luke.

Filmhouse, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Film Theatre, from Friday

The Man Inside (15) **

Ashley Thomas stars in this underwhelming drama as a boxer trying to KO a violent past. Peter Mullan is his trainer, Michelle Ryan (Zoe Slater from EastEnders) is the girl who falls for him. Plodding and predictable, it feels like a fixed fight from 
the start.

Selected release from Friday