The Grinch movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Illumination Presents: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 86 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

No profanity. Well, I take that back…there is a scene where a lady in the grocery store gets mad at the Grinch and says, “Oh, Sugar plum!” ha ha
A boy has no clothes on except for a strategically placed cookie. Parents and kids laughed in the audience I sat with, so I don’t think anyone was offended.
The Grinch steals a lot of things and is a jerk for most of the movie. No big surprise there….he’s the Grinch, after all.
Surprisingly, this movie is rated PG, not G. the MPAA rating required a PG rating because of the property damage and dangerous behavior.
A character wears shorts with the words “Go Time” on the rear and you see him twerk.
There is a lot of destruction, crime, and danger.
You see a character as a sad orphan.
Some bullying and name calling.
Talk of mating reindeer.

IN A NUTSHELL: No one was asking for a retelling of Dr. Seuss’ Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Deluxe Edition), but here we are. This adorable remake is full of whimsy and heart and brought to us by Illumination Entertainment, the peeps who also bring us Despicable Me and those hilarious minions. It updates the original source material and adds some new characters and a story line that tells us more about Cindy Lou Who and her family. It’s perfect for families with young kids.

There are so many cute details that you’re going to have to see this more than once in order to appreciate everything. No need to pay extra to see it in 3D. It’s super cute in 2D.

Here’s a toast to kindness and love, the things we need most.

THEMES:

Loneliness
Friendship – Cindy-Lou said, “You’re my friends. If something matters to you, it matters to me.”
Love matters more in life than things
Kindness

THINGS I LIKED:

Narrated by Pharrell Williams, this movie features great voice talent, including the awesome Benedict Cumberbatch and legendary Angela Lansbury.
The first moments you see Whoville, you want to move there. The artists have created a fun, whimsical, magical town, complete with lots of slides to go on to get to work and a snowball making truck.
The Whos in the Whoville choir actually sing about the birth of Jesus Christ in familiar CHRISTmas carols, the reason for the season. There is more of a Christian element to celebrate Christmas than in the original Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Deluxe Edition) movie. That was a pleasant surprise!
Crazy inventions are always a hit in kid movies. This movie has tons of them.
Cute sound effects.
The emotional eating sequence was funny and, sadly, relatable. Ha ha
Max, the dog, is so cute and funny.
Cindy-Lou’s hair styles are so cute. I sure am using the word “cute” a lot in this movie review! The movie really is cute.
Rashida Jones voices Donna Who, the single, working mother. Some people think the character is unnecessary, but it lends to an emotional moment later on in the movie and is sweet.
A screaming goat. Always a crowd pleaser.
I love it when there is a running thread or gag in a movie. The white birds that fly in the sky and ski on the mountain are like that for this movie. The screaming goat makes an appearance several times too.
Cute vignettes during the closing credits. You don’t have to stay in your seat though, because there is nothing else at the very, very end.
Illumination Entertainment is very strategic. For example, in their most recent Despicable Me 3 Margo wears a t-shirt with a picture of THE GRINCH on the front. In the first Despicable Me she wore a t-shirt of THE LORAX, since that was their next movie coming out. Do I feel manipulated? No, I think that’s clever marketing.
I’ve been a fan of Kenan Thompson since he was a kid, so it was fun to hear him voice the cheerful Mr. Bricklebaum.
It was fun to see how the Grinch prepared for his big Christmas crime and all of the inventions he made to pull off the heist.
Sleepwalking Who. ha ha
The young Grinch is pretty adorable and will probably end up as a stocking stuffer this Christmas season. Check it out:

Grinch Movie Young Grinch 15″ Plush

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Surprisingly, Benedict Cumberbatch doesn’t lend much to the mean, old Grinch. I was surprised his voice wasn’t lower too. He has such a rich, British accent, so why didn’t he just use that? Don’t get me wrong. I love Cumberbatch. Because of that, I was expecting to be blown away by his performance in this movie. This is actually his second animated movie. His first was Penguins of Madagascar. What’s funny is that he says the word “penguins” in a really weird way. He narrated a nature film and people were all “What the heck?” whenever he would say the word. He pronounces it like “pengueengs.” ha ha
The classic song “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch” has an updated rap sound, which is fine, but the words are different from the original version.
The adorable Cindy-Lou doesn’t have the innocent, sweet, little voice like in the original movie. Instead, she sounds and acts like a rough-n-tumble Tomboy. She is voiced by Cameron Seely.
If you’re getting older and tend to get dizzy, like me, there are a few moments when you’ll need to close your eyes.
Some people really hated the Jim Carrey version of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas Did you? This one and Jim Carrey’s version were both produced by Universal Studios.
The Grinch is mean, yet he does some nice things before his heart grows 3 sizes bigger. He’s more of a cranky bachelor.
There isn’t the big payoff in the end that you think you’re going to get about Cindy-Lou and her mom.

FUNNY LINES:’

“Man, I don’t know what’s in this cake, but I think I just saw Santa Claus.” – Mr. Bricklebam (Kenan Thompson)
“I’m not complaining. I’m venting. There’s a difference.” – Donna Who (Rashida Jones)
“How does pudding make its way into everything?” – The Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch)

INSIGHTFUL LINES:

“He didn’t steal Christmas. He stole stuff.” – Donna Who
“If he did what she did, would he feel what she felt?” – Narrator (Pharrell Williams)
“It wasn’t Christmas I hated. It was being alone.” – The Grinch

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas