The Grinch (2018) - Movie Review

In 1966, the world was introduced to the Dr. Seuss incarnation of Scrooge. The Christmas villain Grinch quickly became a ubiquitous image of Christmas. A cornerstone movie that meant Christmas was quickly approaching. The movie experienced the same seasonal rotation as films like It's a Wonderful Life and later, A Christmas Story. They are films that people never seem to tire watching. In 2000, Universal Pictures gave us the live-action Grinch starring Jim Carey. While the film was fun and campy, it lacked the same nostalgia of the original. Now, eighteen years later, the film has been given another face lift. I watched in Real 3D at my local AMC Theater.

Whoville is a magical world, like many of the fantastical worlds that sprung from the mind of Dr. Seuss. It is a place of harmony and joy. It is a town with architectural features that defy the law of physics with citizens who don't seem to have a drop of malice in their blood. The town lives for their annual celebration of Christmas, where they gather as a community, join hands and sing. A towering nearby mountain has a cave inhabited by a furry green grouch with the personality of Sesame Street's Oscar, minus the trashcan. The trashcan is represented by his heart, which many of us learned long ago is two sizes too small. His name is Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch). His name has been adopted to describe people who lack the Christmas spirit. When he hatches a plan to steal Christmas from his neighboring Whoville, the innocence of a child helps him confront his own troubled childhood.

The 2018 version of The Grinch incorporates new elements into the same basic story, narrated by Pharrel Williams. In this iteration, Cindy Lou Who (Cameron Seely) has hatched a plan to help her mother, Donna Who (Rashida Jones) whose life has become deluged in work and raising three children alone. The story shares times between the residents of Whoville and the Grinch. The new material was a little bit silly intended to add some length to the film. It was filler. And it felt like it. I would have liked the new material more if it had been developed a bit better. Instead, it felt cheap. Like putting ketchup on prime roast beast. I liked the characters, but the new material was too vanilla. The basic elements of the original story stood on their own merit. They are a timeless exploration of the commercialization of Christmas encapsulated in a story of redemption and community.

I enjoyed the animation, to include the 3D qualities. The film had a very slick look, yet remained true to the original in its look and feel. It was more a CGI make-over than a re-imagining of the material. The animation and sound were integrated flawlessly. Cumberbatch was an excellent choice for Grinch, delivering the character without adding any distraction. Pharrel Williams did a solid job of narrating. Seely, Jones, Keenan Thompson and the other voice actors did an excellent job of delivering the script, which was decent. The soundtrack was okay. Another updated version that didn't fully capture the magic of the original. It felt a bit forced, offering a variation of the original soundtrack rather than anything original. Going halfway didn't really work for me. It would have been better to leave it alone than to merely tinker with it.

The Grinch earned an easy PG rating from the MPAA. The target audience here is families. Adults who grew up with the Grinch are able to introduce their children to the story together. There were plenty of families in the theater yesterday. My wife and I were likely the only couple at the theater without children for the matinee showing. I would imagine quite a few couples who have grown children have or will see this film as well. The nostalgia of this film will appeal to adults while the film might otherwise seem targeted toward children. As a family oriented film, this story avoids any questionable material. It is a stretch to find anything to warrant a rating advisory, other than the basis of the story, which deals with issues like abandonment and loneliness. There is one scene where a kid is clothed in nothing more than a cookie. It is humorous. This film is great for all ages. Run time is one hour, 26 minutes.

If given a choice between the 1966 version, the 2000 iteration of the 2018 installation, I think my heart would settle on the original. It has a magic that transcends the ages. It may not be as slick or visually appealing, but it has magic. I think the 2018 version captured some of that magic, but it added filler that the story didn't need and updated the music in ways that didn't improve it. I would still give this film a recommendation. I like the basic story. Given the choice, I would pick the original. But, ultimately, I enjoyed this version as well. 7/10.

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