| Under a thick carpet of green-dyed yak fur and wonderfully expressive Rick Baker makeup, Jim Carrey is up to all of his old tricks (and some nifty new ones) in this live-action movie of Dr. Seuss's holiday classic. He commands the title role with equal parts madness, mayhem, pathos, and improvisational genius, channeling Grinchness through his own screen persona so smoothly that fans of both Carrey and Dr. Seuss will be thoroughly satisfied. Adding to the fun is a perfectly pitched back-story sequence (accompanied by Anthony Hopkins's narration) that explains how the Grinch came to hate Christmas, with a heart "two sizes too small." Ron Howard proves a fine choice for the director's chair with a keen balance of comedy, sentiment, and light-hearted Seussian whimsy. Production designer Michael Corenblith gloriously realizes the wackiness of Whoville architecture, and his rendition of the Grinch's Mt. Crumpit lair is a marvel of cartoonish, subterranean grime. Then there's Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen), the thoughtful imp who rallies her village to recapture the pure spirit of Christmas and melts the gift-stealing Grinch's cold, cold heart. You've even got a dog (the Grinch's good-natured mongrel, Max) who's been perfectly cast, so what's not to like about this dazzling yuletide movie? The production gets a bit overwhelmed by its own ambition, and the citizens of Whoville (including Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon, and Bill Irwin) pale in comparison to Carrey's inspired lunacy, but who cares? If a movie can unleash Jim Carrey at his finest, revamp the Grinch story, and still pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Seuss, you can bet it qualifies as rousing entertainment. (Ages 5 and older.) --Jeff Shannon |
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 Jim Carrey's Grinch Is Fun For All, The Tall & The Small! |
| Review Date: November 24, 2001 |
| Reviewer: Mr., USA |
| Pretty much all of us know the classic Dr. Seuss story about the Grinch, a somewhat green meanie, who wants to stop Christmas from coming to his local neighbor's, the Who's. Ron Howard's film version starring rubber faceman Jim Carrey simply takes that story and adds a bit more to it (to fill the extra hour and twenty minutes of running time as opposed to the original cartoon version's 25 minutes). I for one love the backstory that was created. I always wondered why did the Grinch hate the Who's so much. What made him hate Christmas? These questions are answered quite well with some well imagined backstory of the Grinch as a child who actually grew up among the Who's, only to be ridiculed and made fun of for his strange appearence and unique behavior. It seems that the Green one became interested in a young girl that another boy liked (and who ultimately would later became the Mayor of Whoville). The film evens goes on to have Cindy Lou Who (who's given a bigger part in the film) question her family's values of what Christmas is really about...presents?...buying stuff?..is that's all it's about?..she wonders. It is she who realizes the good in the Grinch and crusades for him to be head chairmeister at one of the Who celebrations. I'm not sure what other people were really expecting, but this is pretty much what I thought the movie should and would be like. The sets and costumes are amazing..very Seussian! And Jim Carrey?...Well, I personally believe that Jim is great in everything he does and doesn't recieve enough credibilty by critics and certain moviegoers mainly because of where he came from (i.e. comedy and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the film that made him a star). I think critics that gave the film a bad review missed the whole point and probably need to watch fewer films 'cause they're obviously burntout! All I can say is the fans have spoken, which is why, despite lukewarm reviews, the film went on to become a huge hit and success back in November of 2000! I will still of course watch the cartoon version, but this version will also find plenty of time in my DVD player as well! My only gripe with the DVD is that certain special features are too short or missing. The "Spotlight on Location" is barely over 7 minutes long. There are about 5 such featurettes included on the DVD that run between 4 to 10 minutes long. With such an interesting story like "The Grinch", a 60 minute or longer documentary should've been made to really take us inside not just the filming process, but the world of Seuss and Whoville as well. The other disappointment is there is no audio commentary included. I had almost expected one from director Ron Howard, who had always done one for previous Universal Pictures Collector's Edition DVDs (Apollo 13 & EDtv). I really wanted to know more about just how stressful it was on Jim Carrey to wear the Grinch costume. From interviews I've seen by Howard on Late Nite talk shows, Carrey became so tortured that he ripped the mask off his face and walked off the set. He was in the makeup chair everyday for 92 days straight. They had to get a Navy Seal team leader to instruct Carrey on ways of dealing with torture just so he could finish the shoot (no joke). This kind of story deserves much more insight, which is why I'm so disappointed that no commentary is available on the disc. So whenever people say Jim Carrey wasn't good as The Grinch, I scoff and say, "he went through torture to make that movie!" Some people are just hard to please. But don't let it ruin your Holiday Spirit! Add "The Grinch" to your collection today. And catch the special sneak preview trailer of E.T. The Extraterrestrial on this DVD (just before the movie begins), coming only to theaters in March 2002, with added footage, new special effects shots and more! The Grinch - It's not easy being green. |
Do you know how the Grinch stole Christmas?
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| Review Date: October 26, 2001 |
| Reviewer: , |
For all you Christmas lovers this would be a great film for you. The Grinch is a great film which everybody enjoyed. Children under the age of five might find The Grinch abit frghtening to look at but there is no need to be scared.The Grinch is a nice monster once you get to know him. This film really gets you in the Christmas mood. It would be a great film to watch on Christmas Eve.
I really, really really enjoyed the film. My mum and dad did as well. I can tell you that there not a film person, but they liked this one especially. I would say this is the best film I have seen. If you haven't seen the film yet, you must get it on video. |
Jim Carrey IS the Grinch!
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| Review Date: July 22, 2001 |
| Reviewer: , |
| It's no wonder that "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" ended up being the number one, top-box office money-maker of the year 2000. Jim Carrey IS the Grinch! His portrayal is obviously based on not only the book and the 1966 animated special, but also the other Grinches as seen in Dr. Seuss' "Grinch Night" and "The Grinch Grinches The Cat In The Hat" .... His facial expressions and mannerisms are perfect (and approved by Seuss' widow- a real Grinch lover herself)! It’s amazing to see him do that famous Grinch smile that seems to go on forever! Jim manages to speak clearly and sound like a Grinch, even with those huge prosthetic teeth, (which as he told Rosie O’Donald, force you to talk as he did in the movie). And to be as flexible as he ever was, even in that suit! In fact, he's actually rather cute! The film is funny both for kids and adults since it has a variety of humor to appeal to all ages. My 7 year old and her 60 year old Grandpa loved it as much as I did and I’m 33, making this a rare film that can be enjoyed by all generations. The whole production is amazing; sets are right out of a typical Seuss book, like “The Troubles I Had in Getting To Solla Sollew” or Whoville as seen in “Horton Hears a Who”. Lots of details (like the 1950’s style refrigerator from the original book), make it all the more spectacular, yet, they still managed to make it feel some how modern, too. Cindy Lou Who is adorable and the new characters work well. The story is fantastic as we finally find out WHY the Grinch hates Christmas. The last part of the movie is right out of the book and cartoon but with a few of it’s own inflections. And I LOVED the new version of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” much more than I ever loved the version from the animation. Anybody who tells you Ron Howard was off the mark or that Jim wasn’t good simply doesn’t know Grinch! I’m a Grinch fanatic and a Seuss fanatic and I can tell you that every bit of this film was researched and designed incredibly well. In “Horton”, Whoville was inside of a speck of dust. In this film, it’s in a snowflake- perfect! I can't wait to finally own this one! |
We love this movie
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| Review Date: October 22, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Brian G. Buchberger, |
My friends and all LOVE this movie, despite all the scathing negative reviews from so-called "experts" here and on other movie sites who constantly trash it. Of course it's not 100% "true" to the original (20-minute) cartoon or the book. You gotta fill a 2-hr+ movie with something, so they came up with a lot more material and a back story... we all adore the mildly adult and sometimes twisted humor, anti-Christmas dialog, great effects, and some of the funniest lines I've ever heard in a movie. I generally hate Jim Carrey, but in this role, he truly cracks me up. I am ordering the Blu-Ray version to replace my regular DVD... It's a holiday staple at our house, and will continue to be forever.
For those who expected a charming, nostalgic full-length children's book movie version of this classic tale, I suggest you settle for the original cartoon... This takes the story to a new, (and funnier) level, and I for one, think it's great entertainment! |
A Visual Feast
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| Review Date: November 2, 2001 |
| Reviewer: Christine L. Loss, Albion, NY United States |
| Jim Carrey's version of The Grinch is more than wonderful! The characters not only come to life, but quickly become endearing. The village of 'whoville' is a visual feast for the eyes that will long linger in your imagination. A winter paradise was created in this movie. Jim Carrey's antics are comical and he manages to live up to the cartoon depiction. I have purchased this movie because I know I will want to view it again and again. |
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