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The Grinch

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The character Grinch, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, in a scene from The Grinch. (AP)
The character Grinch, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, in a scene from The Grinch. (AP)

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:

A cynical grump goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. A universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.

WHAT WE THOUGHT:

It’s not the festive season in my household, unless we have watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas at least two or three times.

So, when I heard there would be an animated reimagining of the Dr Seuss holiday tale I was beyond delighted.

The film over all was good but a little too mild for my taste. This is however, a good thing for those who may not know of the original movie and/or may be looking for a more child-friendly flick to enjoy.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Mr Grinch will never come close to the stellar performance Jim Carey gave in the 2000 classic, but he gave it a good go. His vocals were perfectly cued and fit with the animation and while I was expecting the mean old Grinch I know, he wasn’t all that horrible – but in a good way.

This lighter version made Grinch’s meanness more comedic than anything else and well, with happy old Max around who could stay in a bad mood. 

The premise of the movie is the same story we know and love so we all know how it ends, but screenplay writers Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow did a great job at adding tidbits and changing a couple of things to make a great film that will surely generate that ‘warm and fuzzy’ feeling.

I also enjoyed the addition of some characters including Fred the reindeer, Mr. Bricklebaum (Kenan Thompson), who is not only the happiest Who in Whoville but is also convinced that Grinch is his best friend, and Cindy-Lou Who’s (Cameron Seely) friends – Groopert (Tristan O'Hare), Ozzy (Sam Lavagnino), Axl (Ramone Hamilton) and Izzy (Scarlett Estevez) – it gave both the Grinch and Cindy-Lou’s characters a little more depth as well as was more inclusive of the inhabitants of Whoville.

The best part of this movie for me though, was the emphasis that was put on the meaning of gifts. If kids, or adults for that matter, learn anything from this film it’s that the most important things in life are not materialistic at all, its family, love, friendship and kindness.

In the wonderful words of Dr Suess: “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!”

The Grinch is a wonderfully sweet story for the young and the old, filled with new tidbits that will surely be a fun festive season flick for everyone to behold. 

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