How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Review

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Release Date: 30th November 2000 - Australia

Production Companies

Universal Pictures (presents)

Imagine Entertainment (presents)

LUNI Productions GmbH and 

Company KG

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Family/Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 104 minutes

Budget: $123,000,000

Box Office Gross: $346,524,444 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Existing from inside a

snowflake is the magical land

of Whoville, which is home

to the Whos, an almost

mutated kind of munchkin-

like people. All the Whos

love Christmas, except for

the Grinch, a reclusive and

nasty creature who lives
outside of Whoville, does not
and decides to ruin it from 
the Whos, whom he also
loathes. With his reluctantly

hapless dog Max in tow, the

Grinch arrives from his

mountaintop home and slinks

into town to steal everything

holiday-related from the

Whos. Unfortunately, for the

grumpy curmudgeon, there is

a snag in his plans when he

comes across the lovely Cindy

Lou Who.

Cast

Jim Carrey - The Grinch

Taylor Momsen - Cindy Lou
Who

Kelley - Max the Dog

Frank Welker - Max the Dog (Voice)

Jeffrey Tambor - Mayor
Augustus May Who

Bill Irwin - Lou Lou Who

Molly Shannon - Betty Lou
Who

Clint Howard - Whobris

Josh Ryan Evans - 8-Year-Old
Grinch

Anthony Hopkins - Narrator (Voice)

Christine Baranski - Martha
May Whovier 

Mindy Sterling - Clarenella 

Rachel Winfree - Rose

Rance Howard - Elderly Timekeeper

Jeremy Howard - Drew Lou Who

T.J. Thyme - Stu Lou Who

Lacey Kohl - Christina Whoterberry

Nadja Pionilla - Junie

Jim Meskimen - Officer Wholinan

Michael Dahlen - Customer

David Costabile - Biker Who

Mary Stein - Miss Rue Who

James Ritz - Crazy Mose

Deep Roy - Post Office Clerk

Jessica Sara - Sophie

Mason Lucero - Who Boy

Ben Bookender - 8-Year-Old
Augustus May Who

Landry Albright - 8-Year-Old
Martha May Whovier

Reid Kirchenbauer - 8-Year-Old

Whobris/Kid

Rebecca Chace - Shopper

Suzanne Krull - Shopper

Steve Kehela - Shopper

Lillas White - Shopper

Rain Pryor - Shopper

John Alexander - Shopper

Kevin Isola - Tree Trimmer

Gavin Grazer - Yodeler

Walter Franks - Clerk

Verne Troyer - Band Member

Clayton Martinez - Cook

Q'orianka Klicher - Little Choir Member

Caroline Williams - Tiny Who Woman

John Short - Tiny Who Man

Grainger Esch - Near Miss Who

Eva Burkley - Pudding Chef

Bryce Dallas Howard - Surprised Who (Cameo)

Charles Croughwell - Balloon Who
Ron Howard - Surprised Townsperson (Cameo)
(Uncredited)

Crew

Producer/Director - Ron Howard

Based on the Book "How the
Grinch Stole Christmas" - Dr. Seuss

Screenplay - Jeffrey Price and 

Peter S. Seaman
Associate Producers - Linda Fields Hill
and Louisa Velis

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -

Aldric La'auli Porter

Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager -

David Womark 
Executive Producer/Second Unit Director -
Todd Hallowell 

Producer - Brian Grazer
Casting Directors - Janet Hirshenson
and Jane Jenkins 

Production Designer - Michael Corenblith 

Supervising Art Director - Dan Webster
Art Director - Lauren E. Polizzi
Set Decorator - Merideth Boswell

Property Master - Emily Ferry

Costume Designer - Rita Ryack

Associate Costume Designer - Daniel Orlandi

Special Makeup Effects/Puppeteer - Rick Baker

Makeup Artist: Jim Carrey/Sculpture/Design:

Cinovation Studios - Kazu Hiro

Director of Photography - Don Peterman

2nd Unit Director of Photography - Keith Peterman

Production Supervisor/Location Manager -

Michael J. Malone
Stunt Coordinator - Charles Croughwell

Special Effects Coordinator - Allen Hall
Special Effects Supervisor - Joe Montenegro 

Visual Effects Supervisor - Kevin Scott Mack

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor/
Visual Effects Producer - Kurt Williams 
Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -
Julian Levi

Visual Effects Producer: Rhythm & Hues -

Joyce Cox

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Digital Domain -

Nancy Bernstein

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Rhythm & Hues -

Lee Berger

Computer Graphics Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Matthew E. Butler

Compositing Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Bryan Grill

Character Animation Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Randall J. Rosa
Digital Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues - Edwin Rivera

Editors - Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill

First Assistant Editor - Robert Komatsu

Supervising Sound Editor - Scott Hecker

Production Sound Mixer - David Macmillan

Re-Recording Mixers - Chris Jenkins,

Frank A. Montano and Michael Barry

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and Matt Dettman

Music - James Horner

Music Supervisor - Bonnie Greenberg

Music Editors - Joe E. Rand,

Jim Henrikson and John LaSalandra


Awards

2001 Academy Awards
Best Makeup - Rick Baker and Gail Rowell-Ryan (Won)
-------------------------
Best Costume Design - Rita Ryack (Nominated)
Best Art Direction - Michael Corenblith and
Merideth Boswell (Nominated)

Review

Seasons greetings. It's the date that says above Christmas Day. Many have read some books by Dr. Seuss as children and watched all of the movies and animated specials adapted from his famous works like HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. As I recall, it is one of the nostalgic, reminiscent moments I enjoyed in my childhood. This feature interpretation resembles a Tim Burton film through his trademark designs and sheer weirdness. I'm glad it isn't because the director Ron Howard is not Burton, though he tries to imitate his style. This live-action remake of the animated special was nearly as bad as the next film that is based on another Dr. Seuss classic (i.e. The Cat and the Hat, which I've heard didn't get any positive reviews). It nearly destroys what makes the Chuck Jones animation How the Grinch Stole Christmas so outstanding. Further entrenching this film into a pit of shame is the strange makeup and obnoxious portrayal of the Whos and set design unsuited to the live-action setting.

Even more disappointing, to say the least, the scriptwriters had tried to humanise the Grinch character as performed by Jim Carrey by giving him a backstory on how he came to despise Christmas as a child when he already was in his infancy. I don't blame Carrey for being over-the-top in his portrayal. I do admire his work on noted comedies such as Dumb & Dumber. Jim is one of these actors who can turn a bad movie into a good one through his well-seasoned comedic acting abilities, but his performance isn't enough to redeem this film.

While I don't expect the GRINCH movie to be a bizarre holiday humbug, I should wait for the upcoming animated movie in CGI, set for 2018. This version is silly and incapable of carrying the holiday spirit. It brings nothing new to the original story and is a poor update that was two sizes, two small. It deserves to be largely ignored by everyone else who has come searching for a decent Christmas feature. I suggest you read the book and watch the animated special.

Star rating: (3/10) Disappointing

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