Film Review: "The Grinch" (2018).

The Grinch is "stealing Christmas 2018." The 3D computer-animated Christmas comedy film co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, adapted by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow, based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and produced by Illumination Entertainment. The film tells the story of a cynical grump, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog. Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter, and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realizes there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas.

In February 2013, it was announced that Illumination Entertainment was developing a 3D animated feature film based on the Dr. Seuss book, with the working title How the Grinch Stole Christmas, later shortened to The Grinch. This would be the third screen adaptation of the story, following the television special from 1966 and the live-action feature-length film from 2000. It also marks Illumination's second Dr. Seuss film adaptation, following The Lorax (2012). Peter Candeland and Cheney were originally set to direct, however Mosier took over from Candeland. In April 2016, Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as the titular character. By September 2018, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams rounded out the cast. In November 2017, Danny Elfman was revealed to be composing the film's score. Originally scheduled for a November 10, 2017 release date, the film was eventually moved to November 9, 2018, in June 2016, presumably to avoid competition with Sony Animation's The Star (2017), another animated Christmas-related film.

It stars the voices of Cumberbatch as the Grinch, Jones as Donna Lou Who, Thompson as Bricklebaum, Seely as Cindy Lou Who, Lansbury as Mayor McGerkle, and Williams as the Narrator. The cast gave entertaining performances, particularly that of Cumberbatch. Who was perfect to play this role. He carries nearly every scene. In fact, if he's not in the scene, there is no scene. He works as hard as an actor has ever worked in a movie, to considerable avail. Adults may appreciate Carrey's remarkable performance in an intellectual sort of way and give him points for what was obviously a supreme effort. Nobody could play the Grinch better than Cumberbatch, whose cunning antics and maniacal sense of mischief are so well suited to this film. Dr. Seuss himself might have turned to Cumberbatch as an inspiration for the classic curmudgeon had the actor been around in 1957.

Cumberbatch shines as the Grinch. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this movie. You'd be better off watching the 1966 TV cartoon. However, he brings enough life to the animation. He enables Illumination's version of the classic story to come across as anything but a complete pointless re-tread. There is a jollier production design and a brighter look overall, but it's just not much fun.

Simon says The Grinch receives:

Also, see my review for Despicable Me 3.