From observing my two-year-old daughter intently watching The Grinch, it's a definite hit with its true target market. Unlike Illumination's Despicable Me movies, I doubt parents are going to find much to remember or get excited about in this new adaptation of Dr. Seuss's classic Christmas tale.
The Grinch 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.
One thing that I don't quite understand is why you would hire someone like Benedict Cumberbatch to voice a character and then have him sound like someone other than himself. You can't even tell its him in The Grinch. They could have saved money and just hired another actor to speak without a distiguishable accent. I get they wanted the name recognition to sell the film, but most fans of Cumberbatch aren't going to sing the praises of this movie and help sell it to others through word of mouth.
Also, let's talk about how awful Pharrell Williams' narration was throughout the film. When you're following up great storytelling by the likes of Boris Karloff and Anthony Hopkins, you don't really have much of a chance to shine anyway. And don't even get me started on the painful opening and closing rap song I was forced to sit through.
I can't say that it's a terrible film, there's just nothing here to really get excited about. Let's just say that if all three Grinch movies were put in front of me to choose from on a cold winter's night, this one would be my last choice.
Special Features for the Blu-ray / DVD Combo pack include:
Mini-Movie: Yellow is the New Black
Mini-Movie: The Dog Days of Winter
Mini-Movie: Santa's Little Helpers
The Making of the Mini-Movies
From Green to Screen
Illuminating the Grinch
Who's Who in Who-ville (Interactive Map)
My Earliest Grinch Memories
Grinchy Gadgets
"You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" Lyric Video
"I Am the Grinch" Lyric Video
Songs From His Little Heart
Any Who Can Draw
X-mas Around the World
Cindy-Lou's Yule Log
Production Babies
The Grinch is rated PG for brief rude humor.
The Grinch is available now in 4K, 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital formats.
