Following on from Minon-mania Illumination pulled a nice surprise by announcing their take on Dr Seuss’ The Grinch.
Of course that will immediately strike comparisons to the classic 2000 version of The Grinch starring Jim Carrey, but I’ll stay away from such a thing. It’s a breath of fresh air from all the Minion crap that’s being spewed out and a bold step into the right direction with huge promise. 6 years ago this exact same studio gave us a taste of their De Seuss adaptations with The Lorax. The Grinch is expected to blow up the box office with that almighty dollar, but will The Grinch live up to that profit?
For those who are familiar with The Grinch know what to expect from the story. Living on the mountain top The Grinch’s hate for Christmas is hilariously introduced with him lying in bed with the radio alarm going off playing different Christmas song every time it is tuned. He lives with his loveable pet dog/servant Max; their chemistry is somewhat adorable. Cindy Lou is the sweet little girl we all know and love from this story and her friends, three named after rock stars, add some minor comic relief.
The strongest point of the The Grinch is that it’s relatable to those people who hate interacting with people, love staying in bed and binge eating whilst watching Netflix; which is most of us deep down inside. His loneliness will make you laugh and cry; with scenes like The Grinch playing All By Myself by Eric Carmen on a church organ and his childhood spent in an orphanage, the reason he hates Christmas, respectively. However the plot is very simple and does not add anything too special to the story.
Benedict Cumberbatch does a splendid job at giving us that adoring yet grumpy voice for The Grinch. However, Pharrell Williams continues his saucy love affair with Illumination by narrating the movie which to me was hit and miss throughout. Besides The Grinch and Cindy Lou, the best characters in the movie don’t even speak and they are Max and Fred the reindeer, with the latter playing an important part in the film. The slapstick is fun and provides the sole entertainment for this film.
This film is perfect for children and possibly for adults. Key moments like Cindy Lou revealing her wish to Santa Claus should have been left a lot later in the film which could have provided more impact. The Grinch, Max and Fred provide barrels of laughs with their plotting, building and then stealing Christmas. The Grinch is definitely going to be one of the best Christmas films to be released this year and is worthy of your time.
Review by Matthew Clewley
Summary
The Grinch is visually beautiful and completely matches the imagination of the Dr Seuss novel.
