If you just finished watching The Lorax and are seeking films that bring Dr. Seuss’ stories to life, along with other whacky stories, you’re in the right place! In this post, I have rounded up some of the top movies like the Lorax!
Below, you will find a wide range of movies that boast the same colorful animation, star-studded voice cast, and a rich vein of humor. Let’s get started!
10 Colorful Animated Movies Like The Lorax
1. Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
There’s no better place to start a countdown of movies like The Lorax than with a Dr. Seuss adaptation, one that finds the titular elephant stumbling across Whoville by accident.
Horton Hears a Who! is definitely aimed at the younger demographic, but there’s more than enough star power and whimsy to keep older viewers occupied as well.
The voice cast is loaded with comedy royalty as Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Amy Poehler all lend their vocals to a heartwarming tale of friendship and adventure.
2. The Grinch (2018)
Arguably Dr. Seuss’ most famous creation, The Grinch attempts to steal Christmas once again in an animation that takes a different approach than the 2000 live-action version.
Benedict Cumberbatch is an inspired choice for the title character, and hit factory Illumination Entertainment are in their element creating another hit movie that appeals to everyone.
It isn’t exactly a groundbreaking reinvention of the source material, but no list of movies like The Lorax would be complete without The Grinch nonetheless.
3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Not all movies like The Lorax have to be directly inspired by the works of Dr. Seuss, and the mishaps of Flint Lockwood accidentally turning water into food is one of the more irreverent ones.
One of the most sorely underrated animations of the 21st Century, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs balances heart with humor and life lessons with laughter in a riotous comedy.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have built their entire careers on turning questionable concepts into great movies, and their feature debut set a massively impressive precedent.
4. Trolls (2016)
One of the more entertaining movies like The Lorax to arrive over the last decade, Trolls exists partly as a means to sell merchandise to the target audience, but does provide solid enough entertainment.
Two Trolls set off on a journey to rescue their kidnapped friends in a standard odd-couple adventure that sees the two main characters form a steadfast and firm friendship by the time the credits roll.
Formulaic down to a tee, Trolls succeeds despite these limitations thanks to winning voice performances and an earworm of a soundtrack that’ll have you tapping your feet at the very least.
5. The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
One of the many movies like The Lorax on our list to hail from Illumination Entertainment, The Secret Life of Pets is the studio’s highest-grossing movie that isn’t part of the Despicable Me franchise.
A spoiled dog learns how to live the hard way in a diverting kids movie that doesn’t offer much in the way of intellectual stimulation, but moves at a brisk enough pace to keep all ages occupied.
There’s good work from the voice cast, while Illumination’s signature bright color palette makes The Secret Life of Pets a narratively undemanding but warm and fuzzy experience.
6. Home (2015)
DreamWorks’ Home sees a race of aliens called the Boorv to conquer Earth and relocate the entire population, with the exception of one little girl who’s managed to stay behind.
The unlikely duo of Rihanna and The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons head up the cast, and their odd-couple dynamic is undoubtedly the movie’s major strength and selling point.
Animation veteran Tim Johnson directs the sci-fi adventure like someone who’s done this before, and the end result is solid if unspectacular by-the-numbers family filmmaking.
7. Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Peter Ramsey’s hybrid of the action, adventure, comedy, and fantasy genres can be most easily described as the make-believe Avengers, although it can’t quite maximize the potential of the concept.
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy protect children the world over, but an evil villain wants children to stop believing in them, forcing the wintery Jack Frost into action.
One of the most high concept animated movies in recent memory, Rise of the Guardians doesn’t manage to equal the sum of its parts, but there’s no shortage of thrills or spectacle to be found.
8. Shark Tale (2004)
A small-time fish with big ambitions gets caught up with the undersea mob in a bizarrely enjoyable animation that has more in common with The Godfather than most movies like The Lorax.
Assembling a cast that you’d normally expect to find in a prestigious drama, Shark Tale ropes in Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Renee Zellweger, Jack Black, and even Martin Scorsese to lend their talents to various aquatic creatures.
The animation that makes the characters look like their human counterparts can be a little distracting sometimes, but there’s enough flashy animation for the youngsters and inside jokes to keep the older crowd engaged.
9. The Croods (2013)
Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco’s prehistoric caper tells a familiar story, but the unique setting makes it stand out among the crowd of animated movies like The Lorax.
The titular family encounters a more advanced form of the caveman, who tries to warn them about the impending destruction of the world, but the stubborn patriarch is having none of it.
Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds prove that they don’t need live-action to radiate star-power in a fast-paced and frenetic animation that much prefers style over substance.
10. Smallfoot (2018)
The classic mythology gets turned on its head when mild-mannered Yeti discovers a human, but the rest of his village don’t believe that the mythological creatures actually exist.
Smallfoot’s clever subversion of the story is made for an interesting setup, bolstered by Channing Tatum’s endlessly charming lead performance. Movies like The Lorax aren’t required to reinvent the wheel, and Karey Kirkpatrick’s musical comedy sticks rigidly to the tropes of the genre.
One major positive is perhaps the most eclectic voice cast gathered together for the same animated project with James Corden, Zendaya, LeBron James, and Danny DeVito all lending support.