![]() The film also overcomes the biggest obstacle Howard's feature-length version had trouble with and that was stretching the narrative to such a length without feeling like much of it was padded. Alas, that's mostly what this 90-minute exercise in "cinematic candy floss" is, but dammit if, by the end of the film, I wasn't wrapped up in the emotional beats of the story that has the viewer feeling sympathy for the grouchy Grinch (I rather liked Cumberbatch's take on the guy-appropriately irritated, but not evil or scary). ![]() And though I only return to the film once every three or so years around the holiday season it still holds something of special place in my heart despite the growing number of detractors over the years.Īnd so, walking into what felt like a somewhat unnecessary, but completely logical (from a financial perspective) re-telling of the story via the studio that brought us the minions and The Secret Life of Pets there was no reason to expect 2018's The Grinch to be anything other than what it so obviously was intended to be: that aforementioned cash grab. Needless to say, Howard's How the Grinch Stole Christmas swept me up and delivered a sense of wonder I could only dream of, but that they had fully realized. ![]() Remember, these are the days when you had to see movies to be able to see movie trailers and there was always a hope I'd get to catch a glimpse of Carrey as the titular Grinch every time I went to the cinema (which was far less back then). I vividly remember being excited to finally be able to see the movie on the big screen and to experience this thing that had been so discussed and so built-up that it truly felt like an event. I was thirteen in 2000 when the Jim Carrey-fronted and Ron Howard-directed How the Grinch Stole Christmas barreled its way into theaters. The obvious, conflicting idea here is that 2018's The Grinch has been crafted purely as a cash grab for Illumination, but preaches a message of the holiday season being more about selflessness and giving than receiving and indulging. It looks great, and just feels like Christmas. But in terms of visuals and just Christmas spirit the movie has it. There's still a lot of dumb stuff though, like a punk skater Cindy-Lou, and forced message with her mom that just didn't work for me. ![]() I also appreciate the new focus, where we only see a hint of the Grinch's origins with the focus much more on his stealing Christmas, and the origins we do get were much sadder for me and didn't betray the character of the Whos the way the Carrey film did. Is it entirely successful? No, but I appreciate the attempt. Compared to previous Illumination entry The Lorax though and especially compared to the Carrey film, it's surprisingly charming and even makes some attempt at being timeless and faithful to the classic. It's still a little conflicted in following the source material and making up its own stuff, and it does sometimes go too far into modern pop culture sense. While it's miles ahead of the Jim Carrey one purely on charm and appearance alone, it's still not a great movie. With help from Max, the green grump hatches a scheme to pose as Santa Claus, steal Christmas and silence the Whos' holiday cheer once and for all.ĭTS, Dolby Digital, SDDS, Dolby Atmos, Dolby ![]() When the Whos decide to make Christmas bigger and brighter, the disgruntled Grinch realizes there is one way to gain peace and quiet. His main source of aggravation comes during Christmastime when his neighbors in Whoville celebrate the holidays with a bang. The Grinch and his loyal dog, Max, live a solitary existence inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. ![]()
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