When it comes to children’s literature, easily one of the most famous authors of all-time was Theodor Geisel, better known through his pen name, Dr. Seuss. From 1937 up until his passing in 1991, he wrote and illustrated more than 60 books that were hailed for their imaginative imagery and wonderful rhyme-based writing, thus paving the way for classics like The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and Oh the Places You’ll Go. And easily one of his most famous creations was the Grinch, a furry, green creature who despised the holiday season. This character first made his debut in Seuss’ 1957 effort, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Less than a decade later, Geisel teamed up with legendary animator Chuck Jones for a 26-minute television special that has continued to be one of the most beloved Christmas specials of all-time. The Grinch would then see new life on the big screen in 2000 thanks to a live-action adaptation that was directed by Ron Howard and starred Jim Carrey in the title role. This one, however, was a bit more controversial amongst critics and audiences. While it does still have its fans (namely those who were kids when it first came out… including me), it wasn’t as well-received as its animated counterpart. But now the ‘mean one’ known as ‘Mr. Grinch’ is back in a second feature film adaptation, this time as an animated feature courtesy of Illumination Entertainment, who had previously adapted Seuss’ 1971 story The Lorax in 2012. And although their last foray into the world of Dr. Seuss didn’t turn out so well, this new one works a lot better as a charming little family flick even if it’s still just the same story that we know and love at the end of the day.
In the peaceful town of Whoville, one holiday is revered more than anything else, and that is Christmas. Every year, the Whos of Whoville go all out with their holiday celebrations, which become even more extravagant this year when the Mayor (voiced by Angela Lansbury) declares that they will have a Christmas that’s three times bigger than anything they’ve ever had before. But while everyone in Whoville likes Christmas a lot, the same cannot be said for the Grinch (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), a miserable loner who spends most of his time in his mountain lair looking down in disgust upon the town. For the past 53 years, the Grinch has hated the holiday season with a burning passion; a hatred that primarily spawned from all the time that he spent alone at the local orphanage when he was a kid. And when he learns about the Whos’ plan to make their Christmas celebration even bigger, he decides that the time has finally come to do something about it. His ‘wonderful, awful’ idea? Dress up as Santa Claus, find reindeer to lead the sleigh, sneak down into Whoville, and steal all their presents and decorations. Thus, with the aid of his loyal canine companion Max, the Grinch begins working on his plan to give the Whos the worst Christmas that they’ve ever had. Meanwhile, down in Whoville, a young, innocent Who named Cindy Lou (voiced by Cameron Seely) initiates a plan of her own to aid her overworked mother Donna (voiced by Rashida Jones) by finding the one and only St. Nick.
If there’s one thing that you can never fault Illumination films for, it’s for having bad animation. While I do love the live-action Grinch film with Jim Carrey, I will also admit that Dr. Seuss’ creations work a lot better in animation than they do in live-action, and the animation team at Illumination did a wonderful job in replicating Seuss’ style through the locales and character designs. As for the story, though, don’t expect anything new from this classic story. While it does do a different spin on the Grinch’s backstory and Cindy Lou Who’s role in the plot, it’s still the same premise and overall outcome through and through. But for what it’s worth, the film manages to work around this thanks to its laid-back tone and some decent bits of humor here and there. Ultimately, though, the best aspect of the film is Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Admittedly, when the first clips of him voicing the character were released, I was surprised to see that his Grinch wasn’t adopting the English accent that was originated by Boris Karloff in the 60’s special and then used, in part, by Jim Carrey in the live-action film. Instead, he goes for a more Americanized accent, but it’s still a solid take on the character and Cumberbatch works well with the film’s humor. Aside from him, there’s a notable supporting turn from SNL vet Kenan Thompson as the overly jolly Who Bricklebaum that the Grinch continually crosses paths with. And as for Cindy Lou Who, I appreciate that this film did the same thing that the live-action film did by giving her a more prominent role in the story. Instead of her struggling to understand the meaning of Christmas in an increasingly commercialized time, her arc in this film is a sweet one as it sees her just trying to find Santa so that he can do something nice for her overworked mother Donna (sadly, Rashida Jones doesn’t get much to work with here).
Now I went into this film with far different expectations than most people. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of people went into this hoping that it’d be a better feature film adaptation of The Grinch compared to the previous one. But as I’ve noted before, I’m part of the crowd that grew up with the Ron Howard/Jim Carrey version, and I’m not afraid to admit that I still love it. Thus, when it comes to this new version, I was just curious to see what it’d be like compared to its predecessors. And while I do have my doubts about this film going on to maintain as much of a legacy as either of its two predecessors (yes, folks, the live-action Grinch does have somewhat of a positive legacy… even if it depends heavily on who you ask…), this version of The Grinch is still a cute little animated flick. This is, of course, primarily due to Benedict Cumberbatch clearly having a lot of fun in the title role and some gorgeous animation that does a nice job paying tribute to Seuss’ iconic visual style. At the same time, though, there isn’t that much different about this film in terms of its story compared to previous adaptations. And yet, even with that said, I was surprised by how this was a far more restrained affair compared to other Illumination projects. At the time that I’m writing this, I’ve only seen three Illumination films (this, Sing, and The Lorax) and have usually had the impression that they can often be a bit too wacky for their own good. But as for this film, aside from maybe one or two dips into modern-day references, it surprisingly may just be the most respectful adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story to date. And yes, considering some of the previous film adaptations of Seuss’ work (e.g. the infamous live-action adaptation of The Cat in the Hat starring Mike Myers), I know that this isn’t really saying a lot, but I will give this film credit for, at the very least, keeping it simple.
Rating: 3.5/5
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