Watching the 2018 version of the holiday classic left me feeling like a grinch. Inevitably, I compared “The Grinch” to Jim Carrey’s 2000 “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The new version, which was voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, falls short of the classic angry Grinch we all know.
The movie’s graphics are great. At the beginning, I almost felt as if I was riding a roller coaster through WhoVille. The camera view twists and turns, taking the audience through the town, up a mountain and into the Grinch’s home. The colors are spectacular and vivid.
In this version, the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger and the Grinch decides he must steal Christmas. He poses as Santa Claus, but Cindy-Lou creates a trap for Santa because she wants to help her stressed-out mom. In typical Grinch fashion, by the end of the movie, his heart grows to normal size and all is well in the world.
Cumberbatch falls short in playing a believable Grinch almost instantly. The quirky tone of his voice makes the Grinch almost seem playful and sweet. The Grinch in this movie seems like a depressed, lonely boy who needs a friend. He’s sweet to his dog, Max. He is someone you want to hug. I guess that would be fine except traditionally the Grinch is an angry green man with a huge grudge. It was hard to see the Grinch be almost sweet from the beginning.
About 20 minutes into the movie, I fell asleep. No, really, I fell asleep for about 30 minutes. After a jab in the ribs from my son, I finished the movie. However, there were a lot of yawns from me.
Don’t waste your time in the theater. My kids said the movie was just all right. They weren’t excited when we left. They haven’t asked to see it again. That’s how I know it’s not one to recommend. Rent the Carrey version and save yourself the expense at the movies.
Overall: C+
