6/10
How the Grinch Stole the show!
21 November 2003
I agree completely, this film looks extremely overblown, and it is.

Though the sets and costumes are visually amazing, they go by too fast too be truly appreciated, and there is the feeling that it is too much crammed into too little. Besides this, the supporting cast have very little to do, and the presence of Anthony Hopkins as the narrator is rather puzzling. Besides that, several weak story points are added, for instance, like the romance between the Grinch and Martha May seems completely superfluous. However, if you want to see this movie, see for Jim Carrey, who steals the show as the title role. He is simply hilarious! He does, however, run a close race against Cindy Lou Who, who is unbelievably cute.

The difference between this movie, and the cartoon, is that this movie is set more from the point of view of the Grinch. In the cartoon, the Grinch is the villain, a grumpy old hermit who is jealous of the Whos and their happiness. The Whos, in the cartoon, are just simple, country townsfolk celebrating Christmas, and when the Grinch finds he cannot destroy Christmas, he knows he cannot make them suffer the absence he feels in his life, and finally understands the holiday spirit. In the movie, however, the Grinch is a slightly more modern take on his character. Actually, you can't blame him for wanting to do something about the Whos, who, in this movie, are a grim reflection of our society, and the crass consumerism and capitalism that yearly chokes the true meaning of the holiday spirit for material possessions. The Whos are so immersed in their own greed that it almost seems they deserve it when the Grinch drops the ball on them. The writers also make them seem as irritating and overly cheerful and loud as possible, with their gaudy decorations and foods, and creepy, sugar-coated style. Cindy Lou's reaction to this is our own, and she and the Grinch find the real meaning of the holiday. She and the Grinch are better seen as role models to today's holiday company, as a message not to lose ourselves in our own material greed that has become common to this holiday, but to instead remember what Christmas is. I think this holiday would get a much better reputation if people made it a routine to imagine a Christmas without presents or trimmings every year, just to keep that image in mind. But, if you don't want to be annoyed by the Whos, or blinded by the slightly overdone sets and costumes, watch it for Cindy Lou, or, if you don't like 'cute' movies like me, but like Jim Carrey's raunchy, slapstick, Marx Bros. style comedy, watch it for him.
36 out of 85 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed