The Grinch movie is entertaining, yes, but it feels like an arrow missed. Based on the popular Dr. Seuss book, the flick is a good adaptation of the story that shows Max, Grinch’s dog, in a great avatar. It is fun to see the relationship Grinch shares with him. However, there is something that you feel amiss owing to the movie’s editing. The two parallel stories that the movie carries run hand in hand and feel a bit stretched. Owing to that the Grinch movie feels like a drag. It is painfully slow sometimes because of the lack of proper punches and some mediocre editing.
Another big issue the movie has is that it fails to leverage its plot. The part where the creators try to answer the question of why does Grinch have a change of his heart, in particular, feels unjustified. If you try to see what this movie tries to offer there, you can’t help but call bullshit. That scene, in particular, is such a big bummer that it kicks you in your groin. Because you are waiting to be enthralled by a life-changing moment for Grinch but it ends up becoming really shallow.
Then again not judging the movie on the basis of some scenes alone, you will realize that the Grinch movie has plenty of depth as well. But it is mostly when you think of it and not that it lets you. On the bright side, the CGI of the movie is simply mind numbing. All that green feels so tangible that you could almost touch it.
The Grinch Movie Characters
The Grinch is quite close to the character painted by Dr. Seuss. Giving it a palpable form are such visual artists that make him extremely relevant. If you pay close attention to his expressions, you realize they suit his character perfectly. Dr. Seuss’ imagination has been downloaded brilliantly. You can’t help but consider Grinch to be akin to a wretched man who has voluntarily chosen to be grumpy, in a way like a misanthrope, who chooses to live with his dog.
The Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch – in his cave north of Whoville, did not!
There are many around us who do not like a social gathering and wish to be left alone. Grinch was created with that very thought in Seuss’ head as he tried to reason with all those malevolent creatures who chose to remain in hiding even during festive seasons. Grinch is basically us, or a version of us that tries to escape the audacity of a boisterous multitude.
But to drive a message loud and clear he makes this character more diabolical. That despite all his malignant efforts, Christmas still survives. That it is the unity in people and the spirit they are in that saves it. That it is never about gifts but the well being of each other that one is really after. Ergo even though the gifts get stolen, they remain unfazed by it.
Max
Even the character of Max, who is this adorable dog, who is constantly trying to please his master even though Grinch is like literally an epitome of evil, has been done beautifully. It gives your head a new vantage, as the dog proves his colossal worth in Grinch’s life. However impossible his daily job is, probably because it is supposed to be comic, you have to image all these things as something a dog brings in your life – exultation.
Even though it is gnarly to budge a guy like Grinch, Max does his very best, trying to shower unconditional love on him. Pleasing him all the time to make sure he gets everything to his satisfaction. It is sad though, despite everything a dog does for you, despite the fact that it stays eternally hungry for your love, when you are grumpy or angry at life, you end up overlooking it all.
Cindy-Lou Who and Her Friends
Humour is not that great, but it has a dose of cuteness overload in the form of Cindy-Lou Who voiced by Cameron Seely. She is another one of those adorable characters who play a crucial part in the story. Her story runs parallel to that of the Grinch and is supposed to be the primal reason for Grinch’s change of heart. Given her age, she does everything that a child could imagine with a noble and innocent thought in her head. She and her friends are on a mission to trap Santa so that she could ask something for her mother, Donna.
No, I can’t, I have a list of errands today a mile long, and the babysitter left the sink clogged up! No, I’m not complaining, I’m venting, there’s a difference.
Cindy is unlike others. She doesn’t want things for herself but something to ease the pain for a single mother who is sandwiched between her responsibilities of looking after her children. Taking the spirit of Christmas in her vanguard she embarks on a sojourn to set things right.
Fred
Then there is a reindeer called Fred that appears like a cameo who shows you a good time before leaving you mid-way. It felt like a flung boomerang that failed to come back. But it does come back in the end (with its entire family) but still ends up getting sidelined.
Fred has been brilliantly imagined. It is the right kind of cute, cuddly and adorable. Although you can’t help but question his existence in the movie. Fred’s presence felt just for a gag that the creators had in mind. Even though he does not mess with the story at all, it still gives the audience something to chew on.
Well, Santa had eight reindeer, he looks like he ate the other seven.
Poetry and Theme
Keeping in mind the literary origin, there is ample poetry in the flick as well which sounds very soothing. They are all really rhythmic and fall into your ears like brilliant musical notes. That is one of those good things that the movie has constantly going. It provides depth to the story taking away your attention from its flaws.
If you look at the theme of the movie it is basically preserving the spirit of Christmas, why one should choose to come out of their comfort zone, lose their cantankerous self for a day and enjoy a festival which is all about caring, sharing and giving.
Unfortunately, all of the above messages get overlooked in the final moments of the movie when Grinch is shown to have a change of heart which feels like emanated from nothing. That part could have been more emotive, so you would have felt something at least. But it is all very superficial. I think they should learn a lesson or two on how to touch the emotional chords of the viewer from Pixar movies like Coco or Inside Out.
You can order The Grinch movie from here:
The Final Verdict
Yes, there are tons of good things in the movie apart from its apparent flaws, but the movie’s editing just impels you to lose interest. Even though the plot of the film has been kept very similar to that of the original story, it still changes things hither and thither which ultimately affects it and its pace.
The Grinch movie had the potential to become something extraordinary but it ends up giving you ‘meh’ feels. Illumination is always ending up missing something. They have to figure that out now or end up being branded as a production house that helms average animated movies.
Check out the trailer of the Grinch movie here:
The Grinch
Pros
- Great CGI
- Max and Fred
- Okayish Humour
Cons
- Less Impactful Plot
- Poor Editing
- Feels Like a Stretch
