| Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Kevin Lima |
| Produced by | J.J. Abrams |
| Screenplay by | Roger S. H. Schulman |
| Story by | Spike Brandt Tony Cervone |
| Based on | Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose by Dr. Seuss |
| Starring | James Arnold Taylor Crispin Glover Bethany Joy Lenz Brittany Snow Liam Neeson Omar Sy Andrew Garfield |
| Narrated by | Brian Cox |
| Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams |
| Edited by | Matt Villa |
| Production companies |
Warner Animation Group Village Roadshow Pictures Bad Robot Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date | August 25, 2024 |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $110 million |
| Box office | $312 million |
Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose (also known as Dr. Seuss' Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose) is a 2024 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Kevin Lima, it is based on the 1948 children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. It stars James Arnold Taylor in the title role with Crispin Glover, Bethany Joy Lenz, Brittany Snow, Liam Neeson, Omar Sy, and Andrew Garfield in supporting roles, and is narrated by Brian Cox.
Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose was theatrically released in the United States on August 25, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics and earned $312 million on a $110 million budget.
Contents
Plot
Thidwick is a moose with a big heart and a jackrabbit as a best friend. He lives in a herd consisting of approximately sixty who subsist on moose-moss and live on the northern shore of Lake Winna-Bango. One day, Jackrabbit informs Grandmoose that it is hunting season. Thidwick and the Jackrabbit meets Sarah and Laura Lenz, two Forest Rescue Center researchers whose father died in the forest years ago. Rancis Woodrows, a hunter, who despises forest animals, chases them away.
Thidwick and the Jackrabbit take Laura and Sarah to the herd as guests, and they build a giant hawk. Meanwhile, Rancis learns from his talking dog Chew that Laura and Sarah are in the moose herd. His girlfriend and the girl's mother Lisa tries to calm him down, but, suspecting the girls will rebel against him, Rancis sends Chew to bring them back. During a celebration, Chew comes to the herd looking for Laura and Sarah, and orders them to go back to their strict routine, thus revealing their secret. Angered by Thidwick's lack of leadership potential, the moose exile him and desperately attempt to find moose-moss, only for Rancis to capture Grandmoose.
Thidwick, the Jackrabbit, Laura, and Sarah set to end Rancis' tyranny. Thidwick sees a wolf bullying baby turtles and fights him off, gaining the mother's respect. They spot a dangerous hot spring field. Despite Sarah's protests, Thidwick, the Jackrabbit, Laura, and Sarah narrowly evade the hot springs and make it to the other side. In the aftermath of the escape, Sarah snaps at Laura for not listening and furiously disowns her. Thidwick, Laura, and the jackrabbit go to the hunters' shack, where Thidwick confronts Rancis. Sarah informs them of Grandmoose's capture and reconciles with Laura. Rancis reveals that after their parents died, he put the Lenz sisters under a strict routine to rid them of forest animals by getting their heads for the wall of the Harvard Club in New York City. As he chases Thidwick, the Jackrabbit traps Chew and frees Grandmoose. Rancis is about to shoot Thidwick, but he remembers that it is time to shed his antlers and uses this to his advantage to defeat him.
When they get back to the herd a new cabin is built on the northern shore of Lake Winna-Bango, and Rancis turns himself in as Lisa breaks up with him. Chew becomes a nicer dog, Laura and Sarah live in the forest to protect it from smugglers. Thidwick rejoins the herd and is hailed as a hero. Grandmoose passes his leader role to Thidwick, who declares the forest will now live in peace.
Cast
- James Arnold Taylor as Thidwick, a big-hearted moose.
- Crispin Glover as the Jackrabbit, a rabbit with antlers and Thidwick's best friend.
- Bethany Joy Lenz as Laura Lenz, a researcher at the Forest Rescue Center and Sarah's younger sister.
- Brittany Snow as Sarah Lenz, a researcher at the Forest Rescue Center and Laura's older sister.
- Liam Neeson as Rancis Woodrows, a hunter who wants Thidwick's head put on the wall of Harvard Club of New York.
- Omar Sy as Chew, Rancis' pet bulldog.
- Andrew Garfield as Grandmoose, the leader of the moose in Lake Winna-Bang.
- Mary Steenburgen as Lisa Lenz, Rancis' girlfriend and later ex-girlfriend.
- Danny Trejo as Howling Harry, a wolf and a big bad bully.
- June Squibb as Turtle mom
- Brian Cox as Narrator
Box office
The film grossed $125 million in the United States, and $187 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $312 million. During the theatrical run, it grossed $80 million in its opening weekend; it was commercially successful, according to a budget of $110 million.
Critical response
Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose has a 59% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 150 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Its story is too sunshine-and-flowers and politically correct for adults, but Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose still proves to be much better than The Cat In The Hat". Metacritic signed the film to a score of 50 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.
Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post gave the film five stars, saying, "Like The Cat In The Hat, Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose faithfully lives up to its potential". Liam Lacey of The Globe And Mail praised the performance of James Arnold Taylor as Thidwick, saying, "James Arnold Taylor has the most wit in his grove". Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film "Two Thumbs Up". Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor compared the film favorably to The Cat In The Hat, writing, "The Cat In The Hat sucked. Now Warner Bros. Pictures has fixed that up with the even better Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose. It's more than better enough to justify its appeal toward younger audiences." [[Category:PG films]
