The Grinch is directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney and it’s the third adaptation of the famous How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess. The story takes place in the fictional Whoville, where the Whos are preparing for Christmas. Unfortunately for them, The Grinch, a pessimistic hermit is set on literally stealing their Christmas in hopes of gaining some sort of happiness. This adaptation features the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Cameron Seely and Kenan Thompson. Pharrel Williams plays the role of the narrator.

Growing up I loved Dr. Suess’s stories. I remember watching the live-action Cat in the Hat and thinking it was hilarious, but we don’t talk about that anymore. I remember seeing Horton hears a Who and The Lorax and enjoying them. I personally love The Grinch in all of it’s forms, including this one. I grew up watching the animated special and the live-action movie religiously every December. So I was one of the few people who was actually anticipating this movie, but then I started thinking ‘Is this really necessary?’. I was really skeptical and to be honest the trailers didn’t really help. So how did I end up enjoying it as much as I did? Easy, the different interpretations.

The 2D animated Grinch was simply mischievous, the live-action was also mischievous but Jim Carrey brilliantly added a layer of humor and creepiness to the character. This time Benedict Cumberbatch takes it down a notch and makes him a bit more down to earth in the sense that he has a sensible reason for being who he is and he’s not over the top annoyed by Christmas. He is more “friendly” in terms of ‘grinchiness’. It’s not until something sends him over the edge that he becomes the Grinch we all know and even then he is still relatively tame. I actually love this change because what’s the point of having another Grinch movie beat by beat by the original two?

The Grinch is for sure a fun time and to a certain point it is necessary because the first animated special is a little under thirty minutes and many children find the live-action version terrifying, rightfully so, I still have nightmares. This is the perfect solution. Also I love how every adaptation has a different medium, it gives them another sense of uniqueness. The fact that this movie is the highest opening for a Christmas movie shows you that people simply love this story and it’s characters. Also, a ton of people, myself included are suckers for a good Christmas movie during this time of year.

I liked how the character of Cindy Lou-Who keeps getting re-invented with each adaptation. I love how she has a jumpy and ready to go attitude while still being relatively mature for her age. The voice cast is perfectly cast. I love Cumberbatch as the Grinch, his voice works perfectly with this tamer Grinch. I love Keenan Thompson as the eager, and peppy Who who wants to befriend the Grinch, obviously Thompson does a great job with the humor. Also, I did not know Rashida Jones was in this movie until I looked up the cast. I couldn’t tell it was her at all, her character is not really relevant to the story but she has to be there for an arc and I couldn’t really care so maybe that’s why.

Overall The Grinch (2018) is an entertaining time with a lot of heart and humor for the whole family. Though it may not be a must-see or a really necessary movie, it does carry the message of what Christmas is really about and it will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm heart.

RATING: C