Review
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Director
- Ron Howard
- Year
- 2000
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- Gon C Curiel a.k.a. Groucho
- Review date
- Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Nevertheless, I loved How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I didn't expect to, but I did. The classic tale by Dr. Seuss has been translated in a surprising way. Every detail is quite decent, even when some things have been adapted to the humor of our times. The story is about the Whos of Who-ville, who love Christmas, and the Grinch, the isolated creature who hates everything, especially Christmas. How he steals it, and how he teaches the Whos, and himself, a valuable lesson. How the enchanting Cindy Lou Who opens everyone's eyes. And how everyone can be happy without anything but themselves and their union.
Jim Carrey, as the Grinch, is ideal. This is one of his best comic performances, helped very much by Jim Baker's amazing makeup. Taylor Momsen couldn't be sweeter as Cindy, the little girl who's not convinced about the Christmas tradition and somehow feels the same as the Grinch. Anthony Hopkins narrates in a beautiful way. The songs are touching, and the art direction/set decoration, astounding.
I was so absorbed, I cried.
The movie should not be missed. It works in every level, and for people of all ages. It’s a story you'll love, adapted to perfection.
See it, enjoy it, love it. Be a part of it. Merry Christmas!
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Comments
Groucho wrote at 1/8/2003 10:39:06 AM:
The song I posted before, featured in the movie, was written by Dr. Seuss, with music by Albert Hague, for the wonderful 1966 animated version of the classic tale. That very song is one of the most important reasons why the cartoon is immortal. Though most people have seen the cartoon, many haven't, and I hadn't, but now I've seen it and it's clear for me why some people hated the movie. I love it still of course, but I must admit that the 1966 special is superior. It's lovely, funny and affecting, featuring most of the text in narration and a Grinch voiced by Boris Karloff. I also bought the book now, and I'm officially a fan of Dr. Seuss! I will list now the differences between the text (the animated version is essentially the same) and the movie (spoilers ahead):
- The Whos sure love Christmas and buy presents, decorate their houses and sing songs; however, they're NOT essentially materialists, which is the biggest difference between book and movie.
- Thus, in the end, the Grinch doesn't teach a lesson to them, but only to himself, for after stealing Christmas, he notices that the Whos still celebrate it, "it comes, all the same", and his heart grows.
- Cindy-Lou Who is "no more than two" in the book, which was changed for the movie, where she's around 7, played by lovely Taylor Momsen; she's featured in one scene only (probably more but she speaks only in that one) where she questions the Grinch in her house, and he fools her. This Cindy-Lou Who, of course, has no doubts about Christmas, unlike the one featured in the movie.
There are other differences of course, but those are the main ones.
To those of you haven't read the book or seen the animated version, I highly recommend both... and for those of you who hated the movie, I recommend to try to appreciate it: it is a modern version, full of modern gags, but isn't the spirit just the same? I sure think it is!
Groucho wrote at 1/8/2003 11:20:49 AM:
WELCOME, CHRISTMAS(lyrics by Dr. Seuss, music by Albert Hague)
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Come this way!
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Christmas Day.
Welcome, Welcome
Fah who rah-moose
Welcome, Welcome
Dah who dah-moose
Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome, welcome Christmas
Welcome, welcome Christmas
Day
REPRISE
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Come this way!
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Christmas Day.
Welcome, Welcome
Fah who rah-moose
Welcome, Welcome
Dah who dah-moose
Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas
Bring your cheer
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome all Who's
Far and near
Welcome Christmas, fah who rah-moose
Welcome Christmas, dah who dah-moose
Christmas day will always be
Just so long as we have we
Fah who for-aze
Dah who dor-aze
Welcome Christmas
Bring your light
(Bridge (about 65 sec))
Welcome Christmas
Fah who rah-moose!
Welcome Christmas
Dah who dah-moose!
Welcome Christmas
While we stand
Heart to heart
And hand in hand
Fah who for-aze
Dah who dor-aze
Welcome welcome
Christmas
Christmas
Day
Morris wrote at 1/8/2003 6:06:20 PM:
Very interesting my friend! You know, I am not the biggest fan of the movie, but I liked it anyway. Still, the book and cartoon must be much better. Will have to give both things a look one of these days!!!!Leave a comment
Groucho wrote at 1/8/2003 10:31:19 AM:
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.You really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
You're as charming as an eel.
Mr. Grinch.
You're a bad banana
With a greasy black peel.
You're a monster, Mr. Grinch.
Your heart's an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders,
You've got garlic in your soul.
Mr. Grinch.
I wouldn't touch you, with a
thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.
You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch.
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile.
Mr. Grinch.
Given the choice between the two of you
I'd take the seasick crockodile.
You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You're a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.
The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk."
You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch.
You're the king of sinful sots.
Your heart's a dead tomato splot
With moldy purple spots,
Mr. Grinch.
Your soul is an apalling dump heap overflowing
with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable
rubbish imaginable,
Mangled up in tangled up knots.
You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch.
With a nauseaus super-naus.
You're a crooked jerky jockey
And you drive a crooked horse.
Mr. Grinch.
You're a three decker saurkraut and toadstool
sandwich
With arsenic sauce.