Stanko's Stance

Yuck. Gross. The Grinch is bad.

This third rendition of the classic Dr. Seuss Christmas tale is the worst thing a movie can truly be. It is boring. At a crisp 86 minutes, I should not have wanted to shut it down with such enthusiasm.

Everyone knows the tale of the grumpy Grinch that plots to ruin Christmas for the extremely exuberant village members of Whoville.  Screenplay writers Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow do add in their own small twists to the story. For example, they add a bit of family depth to Cindy-Lou Who, highlighting how she is a supportive daughter for her single over-worked mother. It is a nice touch.

The animation is fine and the movie itself was garnered as one of the better looking films of its type in 2018. However, that visual appealing aspects can’t carry The Grinch past the disappointment of dissatisfaction.

In the hours after I watched the movie, I kept having one same thought that was nagging at me. The most boring part of The Grinch, is the Grinch. The main character is the least memorable of the small cast. He isn’t funny and he doesn’t have any emotional punch. His voice and persona is not unique. Benedict Cumberbatch decided that an American accent was best for the role, which I would have voted against in the production process. Why shy away from the British accent? It would signify how The Grinch was an outsider of Whoville and the enunciating may have made the green monster a bit eviler.

Jim Carrey’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas is still divisive among people that I know. I find it a better than average movie that exceeded expectations, but some people are still perturbed by the immense amount of Jim Carrey present. That 2000 version is superior to this 2018 version of Dr. Seuss’ tale, in my mind at least, because it tried to be different. It took bolder steps. Some may not have landed, but director Ron Howard made it his own. Also, if you ever need to defend Jim Carry’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas, just mention it was nominated for three Oscars and won the award for Best Make Up.

For me, the 1966 How The Grinch Stole Christmas is still the best for me. It is almost, for sure, a nostalgia bump-up. I can’t help but remember Christmas as a kid when I see that movie. This 2018 version of The Grinch is forgettable and I can’t see it making its way into many family holiday movie rotations.

Stanko Rating: D

P.S. | The titular “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” jingle by Tyler, the Creator, is HORRENDOUS. My god. So bad. That’s one thing everyone should agree upon. You hear the iconic song in the opening moments of the movie and you can take a lot of what the rest of the movie is going to be following the disappointing rendition.

The Grinch IMDB
The Grinch Rotten Tomatoes