Film critic Calum Cooper looks at the newest version of Dr Suess’s classic story, questioning the need for its existence while succumbing to Seuss’s tradition of rhyming.
The Grinch – ★★☆☆☆
The Grinch is a tale as old as time
Brought to us by Dr Seuss, the master of rhyme
It’s a joyful Christmas caper filled with wonderful drawings and morals
Yet the making of film adaptations has always spawned quarrels
1966 presented the wonderful Chuck Jones cartoon
A short so charming and fun it would uplift anyone’s afternoon
Whereas Ron Howard’s live action trite lacks esteem
It has now become nothing more than an internet meme
Illumination is the studio behind this newest feature
The people who brought us minions, the definition of an irritating creature
From Despicable Me to Sing, their filmography is a mixed bag
So I feared their treatment of Seuss’s classic would make me gag
But when the credits finally rolled I told myself, that could’ve been worse
This is not an endorsement, for it still lacks a place in the universe
Children may enjoy this new tale
And while that is of course great, I question its necessity, and see it as stale
What pros does this film offer in the ways of delight?
It has beautiful animation, which will no doubt please one’s eyesight
It’s vibrant and created with affectionate detail
Of which it assists the story with a sense of scale
READ MORE FROM FILMSPACE: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms; Johnny English Strikes Again; Smallfoot
Also of note is how the film can be funny
These moments are unfortunately few, but for some it’s still worth the money
It combines word play with fast paced slapstick
Matching the animation style; and Benedict Cumberbatch is just as slick
But when all is said and done
The film feels uninspired – more like an awkward rerun
The Grinch is a story that was short and to the point
Padding it out to suit an hour and a half seems destined to disappoint
Perhaps my head isn’t screwed on quite right
Could it be that my shoes are too tight?
Either way, I found myself feeling a sense of discrepancy
Mostly due to the film’s own complacency
They try to give the Grinch a backstory, to explain his being an angry lunatic
When the entire point is that he was a dick
Adding unnecessary baggage takes away from the magical simplicity
Confusion on whether he should be sympathetic harms the film’s eccentricity
Unnecessary is the word you’ll likely see during critical attacks
This is apparent when we see the film’s many visual call backs
From remixed songs to reused shots, it references Jones and Howard’s adaptations alike
With this lack of unique identity, the film feels as monotonous as a hike
Then there’s Illumination’s usual annoying tricks
Courtesy of a studio that forces pop culture into the mix
Pandering to audiences with modern songs and obvious punchlines galore
Don’t they know that these are tricks people will come to abhor?
It seems insecure, terrified that children may get bored
So it relies on being loud and over the top, praying the film doesn’t get ignored
Dr Seuss’s original may be simple, but it teaches timeless truths
While this film’s lack of nuance will struggle to please anyone but youths
It may stick to the original message overall
But getting to the foregone conclusion is still quite the haul
The filler is what’s most apparent of all
Complicating a tale of valuable morals, and slowing the pacing down to a crawl
This film is not exactly shite
But by adding nothing new to this tale, it’s still somewhat of a plight
Capturing the magic of Seuss’s teachings is something Hollywood needs to get better at
Rest assured however, for at least it’s not Mike Myers’ Cat in the Hat
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