YMMV / The Lorax (1972)

• Alternate Aesop Interpretation: The fate of the town - once the Truffula trees were gone, they picked up and moved to brighter pastures, as any Ghost Town in the Western US^note Established during the Gold Rush in the 1800s or mining town in the Eastern US can attest to being Truth in Television.
• Heartwarming Moments. The ending shows that things are not hopeless. With the way the line is delivered and the swelling music, really adds even more weight to this line:
  The Once-Ler:"You're in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds. And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs. Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care. Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air. Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack. Then the Lorax and all of his friends may come back."
• Jerkass Woobie: The animated special made the Once-Ler into one, as he's shown to be more well meaning and often conflicted with his own conscience about whether or not his business practices are right, whereas in the original book he was a purely antagonistic character who was only shown in a sympathetic light well after the damage of his actions was already done.
• Moment of Awesome: The Once-ler's response to the Lorax's lobbying, specifically after he reveals the Swomee Swans' leaving:
  Once-ler: Well, what do you want? I should shut down my factory? Fire a hundred-thousand workers? Is that good economics? Is that sound for the country?
  Lorax: I see your point, but I wouldn't know the answer.
  • It's worth pointing out that the cartoon is the only version of the story that acknowledges the other side of the argument.
  • Additionally, there's a scene where the Once-ler questions himself, recriminates himself for his actions and that he's doing a terrible thing. He then points out that if he wasn't doing it, someone else would since the Thneed is in high demand, and just because he quit making them, it wouldn't mean people would stop wanting them.
• Nightmare Fuel: "Good Ol' Onceler", a song in praise of everything the Once-Ler has created which the man himself ends up applauding as "very heartwarming", is... disturbing in its naked dedication to a self-aggrandizing corporate empire.
• Suspiciously Similar Song: Several of the songs are based on of pre-existing songs. For example, "Exit Exit Swomee Swan" has the same tune as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", the choral part of "Good 'Ol Once-Ler" has a similar tune to "Oh, Christmas Tree", "For He's A Jolly Good Once-Ler" has the tune of "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow" and "Everybody need a Thneed" has the tune of "I Want Candy".

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