My Movie Review on The Grinch (2018)
What's up, guys? I'm back with another review.
Today, I'm gonna be reviewing Illumination's "The Grinch".
In this 2018 adaption of Dr. Seuss's classic story, the Grinch (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and his loyal dog, Max, live a solitary existence inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. His main source of aggravation comes during Christmastime when his neighbors in Whoville celebrate the holidays with a bang. When the Whos decide to make Christmas bigger and brighter, the disgruntled Grinch realizes there is one way to gain peace and quiet. 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.
I’m not gonna lie. The animation of this film was extremely top-notch. It was truly faithful to the look and style of the original original book by Dr. Seuss and cartoon by Chuck Jones, and as a cartoon based on a story by Dr. Seuss, Illumination successfully made the animation and cinematography fit like a glove.
The film is also not without some solid gags, even though much of the humor hasn’t been too funny.
I also can’t help but feel pleased that they decided to also incorporate songs that honor Jesus Christ, because not very many films and tv shows do that sort of thing anymore.
Unfortunately, I don’t think any of the positives are going to help me ignore the negatives that this movie has.
The story didn’t really offer anything new nor did it seem to have enough to make a full-length feature. Basically, it felt like an extended version of the Chuck Jones directed cartoon.
The moral of the story, which is “no matter what, you should never be alone” was a good message. However, it just wasn’t strong enough to carry the film nor was it strongly executed.
Finally, it all comes down to the casting, voice acting, and characters.
I think people are going to find definite joy with Cindy Lou and her friends, as they imbue definite innocence as children. And, as a heads up to all you guys out there, a cast member from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (the animated version) stars in a minor role as the mayor of Whoville! The person is Angela Lansbury, the voice of Mrs. Potts. And let me tell you, her voice was so recognizable and ear-catching.
However, on the title character himself...unfortunately, I didn’t think he was too enjoyable. He has character development, of course, but it’s honestly mostly obvious since that’s how the actual story goes. He was also just a guy who’s spent much of his time alone, nothing stronger.
The voice and acting by Benedict Cumberbatch certainly didn’t strengthen the character. I have nothing against Cumberbatch, he’s a terrific actor whom I admire for a number of works he has done, but something about the voice he gave the character just didn’t feel or sound right. The creativity and efforts he also often put into his characters seemed to be either missing or restrained, and it makes me think someone else could have done better. A prime person that I thought would’ve fit the role of the Grinch perfectly is Christopher Lloyd, whom you might know best for his work in Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Cyberchase.
In the end, Illumination’s “The Grinch” may not be a Christmas present you want to open, but it can still be worth a peek. I also think it wouldn’t hurt to let your children have a look.
So, I rate “The Grinch” a solid three out of five stars.
