There have been screen adaptations of Dr Seuss’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas before – most notably the 1966 cartoon featuring the voice of Boris Karloff, and 2000’s live action movie with Jim Carrey in overly manic-mode as the Grinch – but this 2018 animated version comes closest to capturing the magic – and grumpiness – of the beloved kids’ book.
The Grinch (Cumberbatch), of course, is a bad-tempered, fuzzy green dude who hates Christmas. High up and alone (except for his dog, Max) in his mountain cave, he looks down at the residents of Whoville as they prepare for the holiday season and decides that this will be the year he steals Christmas from them all.
Aimed very much at young kids – even with Cumberbatch’s booming tones, there’s nothing too bad about this Grinch to upset them, even if his heart is two sizes too small – this nevertheless has plenty to enjoy for grown-ups from the rich landscapes and stunning animated visuals (check out Grinch’s brilliant present-stealing gadgets, including candy cane stilts) to the sweet humour that runs throughout.
It’s a seasonal feast for the eyes with a nice message (Christmas is more about being with family than getting presents – yeah, good luck convincing the tots of thatone), and a cuddly, fuzzy green centre that will warm the frostiest of hearts, even the Grinch’s own.
Is Dr Seuss’ The Grinch suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
Very young (under-5s) children may be a little scared when they first meet the Grinch, but will soon discover he’s not scary at all.
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