*Spoiler Free
Classic Story, New Wrapping, New Voice
Summary:
This time, Benedict Cumberbatch gets to voice the classic grump. Pretty sure Max is new, as is Fred (the corpulent reindeer).
Additional Comments:
– I don’t know enough about the original story to tell if it was changed much. I’m guessing the short story doesn’t include everything that happened in the movie because it’s significantly shorter.
– Narrator: I get why you need a narrator here, but I found it somewhat jarring at times.
– Beautiful Animations (4.5/5): Besides the grinch himself who’s classically green, there are quite a bit of beautiful scenes.
– Music 3.5/5: I still love the whos Christmas song.
– I’m not sure why the movie didn’t launch 2 weeks before Christmas. It makes more sense. They might want to capitalize on the beginning of the season, but honestly, it’s going to be a footnote by the time Christmas rolls around.
– Humor 3/5: Most of the funny lines were in the trailer.
– Max is adorable. So is Fred.
– Plot/ Moral 4/5: Typical for this type of movie. Not sure there’s more to squeeze out of this, but I would have liked for something to surprise me.
– Cindy Lou Who sounds like the girl from Despicable Me (Margo, I think).
– Kid safe, though judging from the people next to me, boring for most adults. (Or they’re just phone addicts, 50-50 shot either option is correct.)
Conclusion:
If you’re a diehard stickler for being true to source material, you will likely hate this. If you’re just in it for a nice way to spend the afternoon with the kids, it fits the bill.
Associate links to follow…
(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)
Amazon Prime
The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.
If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.
Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
OR
