It's officially Christmas Day!!!!
I know before I was griping about how I've never successfully celebrated the spirit of the season on my blog, well all that changes today with my first ever Christmas review. I start a new trend today with my review of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Today. I'm reviewing the Jim Carrey/Ron Howard version of the timeless tale. I know that this version has gotten a good deal of hate, but it's become a tradition in the Beetle house and is one of my personal favorite Christmas films. Is it a perfect film? No (It's not even a perfect adaptation), not by any means of the word but I still love this new classic all the more. The film never fails to fill me with joy and a warmth that can only be found on Christmas Day.
In this version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, the story is the same but Ron Howard has added some back story to the characters and made Cindy Lou Who a bigger role than she previously was. Howard also adds in some new characters including the Mayor of Whoville (Mayor Augustus Maywho), Cindy's parents, and the lovely Martha May Whovier. Is all the added back story, characters, and details necessary or even needed? Heck No! Here, the new characters do make for a nice touch, but the backstory of The Grinch is really used more for padding than anything else. Nothing revolutionary is revealed, and honestly I didn't really need or want to know The Grinch's reason for hating Christmas. I do miss the simplicity of the original story, with all the added stuff here things can get a bit messy and muddied at times.
That said, the acting found in this new version is pretty good. Most of the cast does a perfectly acceptable job with the roles they are given. Taylor Momsen does a surprisingly good job as the young Cindy Lou Who, but the standout star of the film is the great Jim Carrey himself as The Grinch. Carrey throws himself into the role of The Grinch with a wild abandon that is crazily infectious. It's clear he's having fun with the classic character, he is the classic Grinch we all know and love with a few sprinkles of Jim Carrey's own personal flavoring for good measure. Not only is he a goofy, funny, lovable character but he is also a sad, and sometimes even slightly menacing and scary one as well. The Grinch is easily one of Carrey's best roles to date.
The sets and environments found in The Grinch are wonderfully Seussian, and remain faithful to the book. The small town of Whoville (found inside a snowflake, what a perfect little added detail) is perfectly realized, as is The Grinch's lair on Mt. Crumpit. Here is a town that I wouldn't mind visiting and exploring for a while, not to mention I also wouldn't mind staying at The Grinch's lair for some time....it's so vast and cool, even to a 21 year old such as myself. Every time the film ends, I find myself wanting to spend more time in this fantastic world Dr. Seuss and Ron Howard created.
Luckily, with all the lots of modern humor (I take it this is what most complain about, I actually like this aspect of the new film though) the new Grinch doesn't forget that it was the heart that made the original story so beloved. This new Grinch definitely has a big, beating heart at its core. This time around, Whoville is a town that has become obsessed with all the commercial and material aspects of Christmas (an angry Grinch even points this out during a heated monologue in the center of town), forgetting what Christmas is really all about (another aspect I'm sure upset fans of the original). While at first glance this would appear to be a bad choice for the film, it actually strengthens the message at the end of the film. And what exactly is that message? That Christmas is really all about being together with your family and being grateful for what you have, of course!
So, as I've already said The Grinch is by no means a perfect film,but it is permeated by the spirit and warmth of the holiday season and that makes it enjoyable nonetheless. With a delightfully infectious performance from the great Jim Carrey, The Ron Howard version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a great treat for the whole family...especially when the holiday season rolls around.
So, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you Grinch's out there (and you non-Grinch's too). Stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy Christmas Day....remember, it only comes but once a year so make it last!
4/5 STARS
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