Arts

This Grinch is more anti-hero than villain

If you were to take the 1966 Boris Karloff How The Grinch Stole Christmas, sandwich it between two thick slabs of brandied fruitcake with the 2000 Jim Carrey version, you would have the 2018 rendering of Seuss’ yuletide anti-hero.

And that means one thing, a more comfortable ride while watching the film with your children.

I should know, I have a five and two-year-old and they seemed to be more taken with this version rather this slyness of Karloff’s animated version.

However, Benedict Cumberbatch, who channels his inner socially awkward Sherlock for this Grinch, doesn’t seem to be as villainous. He’s more of angry curmudgeon who just shouts at the kids to get off his walk to his Alpine home.

He has his trusty sidekick, Max, and is the token recluse of Whoville, but he still seems to endear himself to the community.

And in his pursuit to disrupt Whovillean Christmas, recruits a second toady in the form of a bulky pseudo-reindeer.

Instead of being the “mean one” Thurl Ravenscroft sang about in that woody bass, he is more the misunderstood variety.

As for the rest of the characters, the film seizes richly the zeitgeist of empowering young girls. Cindy Lou Who (Cameron Seely) is an adventurous and wily young girl who seeks to capture Santa.

Her mother Donna is a seemingly single mom, who handles twins while leaving Cindy to her own devices.

With her is her sandlot outfit, BFF Groopert, Axl, Izzy and Ozzy. 

Now, anyone who has seen the previous two iterations of the Grinch knows what happens next. There’s B-and-Es, thieving, and subsequently remorse. 

Of course the message is still ever-present: it’s better to give than to receive.
But the story is less of a moral tale than a warm of fuzzy understanding that actions have repercussions. 

Outside of the movie, most of the extras are geared towards the same under-12 audience. 

For those of you who love Minions, they make their own little appearance in a short feature. Another has Max on an adventure of his own.

Above, The Grinch is a Christmas caper that’s perfect for the era and perfect for the whole family.

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