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Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
Directed by Gary Trousdale
Produced by Owen Laramore
Kaitlyn Porras
Chris Jenkins
Written by Roger S. H. Schulman
Owen Laramore
Gary Trousdale
Based on Thidwick the Big-
Hearted Moose

by Dr. Seuss
Starring Ryan Reynolds
Andrew Garfieid
Denzel Washington
Liam Neeson
Bethany Joy Lenz
Brittany Snow
J. K. Simmons
Narrated by Billy Dee Williams
Music by John Powell
Edited by Sylvian Blais
Production
companies
Owen Laramore Studios
20th Century Animation
Distributed by 20th Century Studios
Release date September 23, 2022
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $70 million
Box office $279 million


Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose (also known as and shown on-screen as Dr. Seuss' Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose) is a 2022 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Owen Laramore Studios and released by 20th Century Studios. It is the studio's third feature-length film. Based on the 1948 children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss, it was directed by Chris Miller and stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character, with Andrew Garfield, Denzel Washington, Liam Neeson, Bethany Joy Lenz, Brittany Snow, and J. K. Simmons in supporting roles. The story focuses on the titular moose as he sets out to protect his herd from starvation, as well as from hunters keen on getting his head for the Harvard Club wall.

Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose was theatrically released in the United States on September 23, 2022. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the animation and Reynolds' voice performance, though the script and faithfulness to the source material were met with polarized reactions. However, the film was a box office success, grossing $279 million worldwide on an $70 million budget. This was the last film from the studio released under the "Owen Laramore Studios" name before it was renamed to "Olaramore04" that same year.

Plot[]

The big-hearted but clumsy Thidwick is a moose lives in a herd consisting of approximately sixty other moose who subsist on moose-moss and live on the northern shore of Lake Winna-Bango. Even though he is frequently ridiculed by the moose elders led by Grandmoose due to his clumsy nature, he is nonetheless enarmored with Gladys, a female moose who is regarded as the most beautiful moose in the herd. One day, a family called the Woodrows, led by the mean-spirited hunter Rancis arrive for the hunting season. His son, Barry, loves animals and dreams of being a researcher at the Forest Rescue Center, even though his sister, Sarah, objects to this, as Rancis won't let them near forest creatures, so as not to end up meeting the same fate as their mother.

On the first day of autumn, the herd's winter supply gets harder to find. Thidwick, determined to earn the herd's respect, declares he will not let the herd starve, encouraging them to find all the moose-moss they can find to get them through the winter. As Thidwick searches for moose-moss, he befriends a hare named Trevor the Army Bunny. Thidwick invites Trevor to help with the moose herd's harvest. The two encounter Barry, and after Thidwick has his leg injured by a bully wolf, Barry takes the two animals to the Forest Rescue Center, where a veterinarian named Dr. Dutch who wraps a bandage around Thidwick's leg. Thidwick, O'Hare, and Barry travel to Lake Winna-Bango. Thidwick successfully demonstrates that humans can be peaceful, finally gaining the herd's respect. Meanwhile, Sarah discovers that Barry left and informs Rancis. Suspecting his son will eventually turn against him, Rancis rallies the hunters to hunt Thidwick, planning to mount his head on the wall of the Harvard Club of New York, a building well known in the 1930s and 1940s for its hunting trophies. At Lake Winna-Bango, during a celebration, Barry's presence appalls Grandmoose, who places blame on Thidwick for breaking his promise, saying humans are a threat to the herd. When Thidwick refuses to give up on Barry, the moose exile him from Lake Winna-Bango and desperately attempt to find more moose-moss.

Thidwick sees the hunters approaching and decides to stop them. On the way, Sarah meets up with them and lectures Barry for deliberately disobeying his father's orders. Thidwick, Barry, and Trevor save her from a dangerous field of geysers, succeeding in showing her that moose can actually be peaceful, and she eventually changes her mind. That night, a snowflake falls on Thidwick as winter approaches, and, at Lake Winna-Bango, the herd swims across the lake to find fresh supplies of moose-moss. That morning, Rancis sedates Thidwick with a tranquilizer gun and puts him a cage to take him to the Harvard Club wall, and has some hunters take Barry and Sarah home to keep them away from any more moose.

With encouragement from Sarah, Barry borrows a hunter's jeep and pursues Rancis and the hunters. O'Hare arrives, takes the keys to the cage, and frees Thidwick. Thidwick, O'Hare, and Barry return to the same side of Lake Winna-Bango that the herd swam to. The herd is compromised to Rancis and the hunters, but Thidwick, undettered, challenges Grandmoose's will, saying that humans and moose are alike in many ways, and that it is not neccessary to hunt moose. Barry, O'Hare, Grandmoose, and the herd listen, but Rancis betrays Barry. Sarah comes to the rescue, and Thidwick tries to outrun Rancis and the hunters, but is cornered. As Rancis is about to shoot Thidwick, Thidwick remembers that it is time to shed his antlers and uses this to his advantage to push Rancis and his hunters into the river.

With the herd saved, Rancis and his croonies are arrested, while Laura and Sarah live in the forest to protect it from hunters. Thidwick rejoins the herd and is hailed as a hero, and O'Hare takes up residence with the herd. Thidwick reveals his feelings for Gladys, and the two become a couple. A new era begins, with moose and humans now co-existing in peace.

Cast[]

  • Ryan Reynolds as Thidwick, a big-hearted but clumsy moose.
  • Andrew Garfield as Barry Roodrows, Rancis' son who dreams of becoming a researcher at the Forest Rescue Center.
  • Denzel Washington as Trevor the Army Bunny, a rabbit with an army uniform who befriends Thidwick.
  • Liam Neeson as Rancis Woodrows, a hunter and Barry's mean-spirited father who wants Thidwick's head put on the wall of Harvard Club of New York.
  • Bethany Joy Lenz as Gladys, a female moose and Thidwick's love interest.
  • Brittany Snow as Sarah Woodrows, Barry's sister who tries to get him to listen to her father.
  • J. K. Simmons as Grandmoose, the leader of the moose in Lake Winna-Bang.
  • Omar Sy as Dr. Dutch, a self-proclaimed veterinarian of the Forest Rescue Center.
  • John Kassir as Howling Harry, a wolf and a big bad bully.
  • June Squibb as Turtle mom
  • Billy Dee Williams as Narrator

Box office[]

In the United States, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose was projected to gross $75 million in its opening weekend. The film grossed $129 million in the United States, and $150 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $279 million by the end of the theatrical run.

Critical response[]

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose received mixed reviews. It has a 54% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 245 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Though its writing is dull and and feels like they're missing a few elements from the Dr. Seuss book, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose has good animation and Ryan Reynolds delivers a solid voice performance". Metacritic assigned the film to a score of 55 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.

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