Review Summary: Not the best Seuss movie, but very solid family fun.
Dr. Seuss' stories carry a special place in children's literature. There's a uniqueness and creative flourish in his works that realize your reading and experiencing something truly unique and wondrous. As a children's writer, he knew how to engage through his vivid imagery and his fantastical, almost nonsensical writing style. It's no wonder his books have stood the test of time.
That being said, bringing his stories to the big screen has proven challenging. Universal Pictures first started with two live-action adaptations. Jim Carrey first starred in a adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. While the film was a huge success financially, it wasn't liked very much by critics. Beyond that, Mike Meyers' The Cat in the Hat was a disaster. On the animation front, Horton Hears a Who! was fine, while Illumination Entertainment tried their hand at The Lorax six years ago. For me, the last one has been the best adaptation so far.
So, here comes another Grinch movie. And I have good news and perhaps a tidbit of bad news. The good news is, this version is miles better than Carrey's version. It feels more authentic, fun and even more touching than that movie as a whole. On the downside of things however, as far as depth, sheer fun, and memorability are concerned, Grinch comes closer to Horton than it does Lorax.
In the meantime, Grinch certainly succeeds in sticking closer to the feel of the original 1960's cartoon classic as well. There's a slapstick, Looney Tunes style vibe to a lot of the humor here that feels refreshing. The animation, in the meantime, sticks fairly close to Seussian illustrations. Not to mention that there's also a lot of unique visual touches (the Lights Maze is a highlight in particular), and some appropriately beautiful Christmas decor.
Benedict Cumberbatch (a.k.a. Doctor Strange) is an inspired choice to play Mr. Grinch. He's given several great moments to shine. The humor and wit behind his character is much more natural and effective than the over-the-top, overly-cartoonish Carrey. Now, I wouldn't say he's as memorable as Boris Karloff, but he tries. It helps too that the character is given a hint of a backstory. While not given too much attention (likely because its' a kids movie), its' handled with enough Seussian flair to make the audience at least understand the situation with care. (yes, rhyming intended here)
Perhaps the best decision by the filmmakers here was to give more of a storyline to Cindy Lou Who (voiced here by Cameron Seely). Aged up a little here in comparison to the book, she's given a storyline that really works wonders here. In the meantime, her story especially helps the movie's last 30 minutes. The scene in the book between Grinch and Cindy is changed a bit. However, the execution is incredibly touching. In the meantime, the message of the Grinch story is given a slightly more mature interpretation. The ending of the movie is very good as well (though I won't spoil it). I'll just say it does a wonderful job at making us really feel for the characters.
The film also carries a solid share of very good jokes. The stand-out running gag for me was the one involving a stubborn billy goat. Max also gets a couple of interesting jokes as well. As for the moments we know from the book and TV special, some are translated well. From the "heart two sizes too small" to the classic "Fahoo Foraze" song, there's definitely recognizable elements here. Pharrell Williams is given the distinction of narrating the story this time. He does a decent job, even if he can't live up to Karloff.
That being said, some things aren't translated very well here. Most prevalent is the new version of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Tyler, the Creator. Now, honestly, who's idea was it to turn such a classic song into a rap? This particular version is so out-of-place and off-kilter with the movie's creative, Christmas feel that it's just about jarring. The song is also out-of-place with the story. That being said, only hearing it for a couple minutes towards the beginning (and not hearing any reprises of it later) can qualify as a little bit of a relief I guess. Tyler, the Creator has another rap song in the end credits that also feels very off with the film's tone.
There's a new character or two here added that does succeed in fitting in with Seuss' style. Fred the Reindeer is an adorable addition. The problem is, he's not in the movie enough. Besides the "whipped cream" joke we see in the trailer, he's hardly given much else to do. Honestly, I felt that Kenan Thompson was given more to do here. He adds some strong enthusiasm and personality to a Christmas-crazed neighbor. Besides that, it was nice to hear Angela Lansbury (she voices the Mayor of Whoville). At the same time, however, it's sad to report that it's only an extended cameo of sorts.
In the end, Grinch is a fine family movie for the Christmas season. Those looking for a more faithful adaptation of the story should be reasonably happy. It entertains and touches, and moves at a solid pace. Now, it isn't quite interesting or magical enough to be one of the best Christmas flicks ever made.
However, the fact that this is a solid movie should count as a big win as far as Dr. Seuss movies are concerned.
My Score: 7.7/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: The Grinch is rated PG for "brief rude humor". Thankfully, there's little here that parents should be very concerned about. Only a couple of stray moments might have given the film its' rating. First, the neighbor makes a veiled hallucination joke when he says, "I don't know what's in this cake but I think I saw Santa Claus!" Second is a moment when a child's clothes are yanked off accidentally (only a cookie covers his private area). Besides that, there's some slapstick violence, but no one is severely hurt. Grinch teases kids and does some very obviously rude things (break a jar in a store, eat a pickle and spit it back into the jar and put it in someone's cart, etc.), but he later apologizes for his actions. Grinch is also seen in his underwear at one point, and he cheats at chess.
