Crumpit into a veritable Xanadu full of Rube Goldberg-like contraptions, lined with books, and built around a dining room table that may have stolen from Charles Foster Kane. He’s also a mechanical genius who’s managed to refashion Mt. The Grinch is a jerk, to be sure, but this time around he’s more of a curmudgeon than he is a monster it isn’t nice to knock over a kid’s snowman, or place a can of ingredients on a supermarket shelf that’s too high for an elderly shopper to reach, but it’s not like he’s trying to repeal Whoville healthcare or anything. Voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, whose strongest inspiration for the character seems to have been a sinus infection, this Grinch is a bit softer than what you might expect (and not only because Illumination has done such a fine job of detailing his pea-colored pelt). Introduced against the backdrop of a somnambulant Tyler the Creator rap that clashes against the character’s hyperactive animation (“All them smiles homie, I turn ’em to frowns / All them decorations, I tear ’em down”), the Grinch has been rebooted as a sour - but not altogether sinister - misanthrope who’s equal parts bully and Batman. Because in his mountain lair above Whoville, hidden from the sun, lives a feathered green meanie who can’t stand all the fun. It’s unclear if these people have even heard of Jesus, or if they’re just really into singing carols and stringing lights, but there’s no doubt that December 25th is everyone’s favorite day of the year. The gist, of course, is still the same: Somewhere in the heart of a snowy valley sits a village called Whoville - imagine a gingerbread house in the shape of Bruegel’s “ The Tower of Babel” - where the locals takes the spirit of Christmas very, very seriously. ![]() Technically, the film has a number of different ideas about how to pad out the plot, it’s just that all of them are so half-baked that they just sort of mush together into a dry clump of holiday cheer. Seuss’ yuletide classic is too pure and simple to support an entire feature - there’s a reason why the cherished 1966 television special is only 26 minutes long - and this updated version has no clue how to fill the extra time. Seuss’ holiday fable is so pure and simple that no one could ruin it completely, and there’s no denying its latest adaptation is cute and inclusive in all the right places. And if “The Grinch” is also the most damning movie that Illumination has made thus far, that’s because it’s based on one of the most iconic kids stories ever told. If “The Grinch” is the best movie that Illumination Entertainment has made thus far, that’s because it’s based on one of the most iconic kids stories ever told. ‘Together 99’ Review: Lukas Moodysson’s Sequel Chronicles a Commune Reunion on Brink of New Millennium “The Grinch,” despite the pedigree of its beloved source material, is no exception. ![]() From “ Despicable Me” to “ Sing,” the company’s garish, manic, and comfortably mediocre products look and feel like the cinematic equivalent of “Candy Crush” - they’re designed for no other purpose than to sedate your kids, pass your time, and pick your pocket. Illumination Entertainment makes movies for bored children and desperate parents. Even manufactured kindness is enough to send shivers. ![]() It’s not as if the people who gave the world “Minions” could possibly still care about a grown man’s opinions. From the moment it started, he wanted to bail. The animation is ugly, and the jokes sure are stale. ![]() But it seems the most likely reason of all, may simply have been that he was not in its thrall. It could be, perhaps, the midterm polls were too tight. It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right. This critic hated “ The Grinch” for almost its entire duration, he sighed and he cried and he dreamed of vacation.
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