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Who exactly was the target audience for this movie? There’s too much adult humor for the kids, it’s too juvenile for the adults, and it’s flagrant in its disregard for Dr. Seuss’ words and themes to please fans of his work. I suppose fans of Jim Carrey’s free associative overacting will find plenty to enjoy here, but that’s not enough to justify the experience.
No, How the Grinch Stole Christmas exists in some cinematic no man’s land where the only thing I can point to as strengths without an asterisk is the technical achievements, mainly the production, costume, and makeup design. Nary a straight line to be found, the sets look like Dr. Seuss’ curvaceous drawings come to wacky, kooky, kitsch-filled three-dimensional life. I love looking at the scenes of Whoville where we can stop and appreciate the vibrancy of the colors, the strangeness of the layouts, and the over-the-top bric-a-brac littering the frame.
The same thing goes for the makeup design of the Grinch, which finds a common ground between the Chuck Jones cartoon, Seuss’ original design, and enough room for Rick Baker’s ample creativity. The result is a complete transformation of every major cast member, yet they’re still recognizable enough underneath the layers. The Grinch’s smile lines seem to mimic Carrey’s, and Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon, and Taylor Momsen already elf-like features are exaggerated here to transform them into living cartoons.
Yet these are merely cosmetic strengths and they cannot paper over the glaring weaknesses of the rest of the film. Ron Howard’s a journeyman director, not a cinematic visionary, and his point-and-shoot style doesn’t serve, explore, or expand the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss in any meaningful way. There’s two musical sequences just because, although the presence of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” makes more sense than the treacle that is “Christmas, Why Can’t I Find You,” and a Tragic Backstory™ for the Grinch. Why? Because they needed to pad out the story and decided that transforming the Grinch from grumpy scrooge to tragic loner was a smart idea. Long story short, it’s not.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas has its fans, and I’m assuming the veneer of nostalgia is clouding their judgment. At least it’s better than the live action Cat in the Hat from a few years later. If that’s not damning with faint praise, then I don’t know what else to tell you.
