I Want to Steal Christmas After Watching The Grinch
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic film to watch during the holiday season. Personally, I like the animated one better, but seeing as the story is generally the same, I think they’re both spectacular. I was very excited about Illumination Entertainment’s take on the classic in their movie The Grinch, but I was disappointed.
Over the years, Illumination Entertainment brought the world Despicable Me, Sing, and The Lorax, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed, but their newest installment did not entertain me nearly as much. The movie followed the general plot of the original. The Grinch, who resides in an isolated cave at the top of Mount Crumpit, is a complete scrooge when it comes to the Holiday Season. The Grinch is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch and the equally classic character of Cindy Lou Who by Cameron Seely. The Grinch has a serious hatred for Christmas and does not want the rest of Whoville to enjoy the holiday, so he disguises himself as Santa and steals all of the Who’s presents. In the end, Cindy Lou Who’s dedication to the Christmas spirit warms the Grinch's heart and it grows by three times the size. Truly a cinematic masterpiece.
Though the is remake had the essential details of the original movie in the plot, it was not enough. With a revamped version of a classic movie, you would expect some twists and turns along the way, but, to me, it was almost identical to the original. The only noticeable difference for me was that Cindy Lou’s mom (voiced by Rashida Jones) is a single mom. This is a creative way to bring the Grinch into modern times, but I think it is still a little too subtle. It’s very possible that the reason this movie wasn’t really my thing is because I am 17 and the plot is most definitely targeted towards elementary age kids. I can see the appeal for those who are under the age of five, but once you get a little older, the movie loses its lure. All in all, stick with the original animated movie or even the creepy Jim Carrey remake over this one.
By Vivi Melkonian