I often gripe about the commercialism and greed of the Christmas season. I don’t hate it, I just get annoyed with the people sometimes. I do have a soft spot for some Christmas themed movies. The latest matinee selection is a fresh take on one of my favorite holiday classics, “The Grinch”. Originally a short story by Dr. Seuss, it is the tale of a grumpy green guy bent on ruining Christmas for the citizens of Whoville but then eventually discovers the true meaning of Christmas. And no, I didn’t see this just because of Benedict Cumberbatch though it is a nice bonus. The man is so good with voices, you wouldn’t even know it was him. Illumination’s “The Grinch” is great fun for the whole family. Predictable storyline, but then again the book it is based on was written over 55 years ago therefore being universally known by this time. The animation is crisp and bright and the music is festive. Singer Pharrell Williams does the narration. The story is modernized yet holds close to the source material without the extra material used to plump it up taking away from anything and is kept simple enough for youngsters to keep up with. The Grinch himself could have been just a little Grinchier but was still way better than Jim Carrey’s version which kind of strayed a bit and I’m sure probably gave some small children nightmares.
This version is definitely one to add to your Christmas movie viewing. I’ll go so far as to give it an 8 out of 10.
Lair of the Dark Phoenix 