One thing for certain, your entire Christmas is incomplete without this. Who cares if the ending is a tad predictable, all that matters is that it is a completely lovable short film, at only 26 minutes or so, and a quintessential Christmas treat. Along with the Rankin'/Bass Christmas specials I watch this every year with my family, and it never disappoints, in fact I love it even more than I did when I was a kid.
So what did make this gem so wonderful? Well the animation is a definite plus. While very simple, it is very colourful and heart warming. I don't care whether it was simple, I do think its simplicity added to its charm. Also the music is wonderful. The tunes are memorable, and I constantly find myself humming them. The story is the ultimate story of greed and bitterness and is very touching as well, and this film has been referenced in some Christmas films, Home Alone 2:Lost in New York immediately springs to mind. The characters are very lovable, the Grinch is very nasty without being too scary, Max the dog is adorable, and the citizens of Whooville represent everything we love about Christmas.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is also very true to Dr Seuss's story, which is every bit as funny, exciting and charming. Out of the adaptations of Dr Seuss's work I have seen so far, this is the only one I'd deem so far as a masterpiece; the Jim Carrey version of this gem was good not not in the same league as this but Cat in the Hat with Mike Myers was a disgrace. But what made the cartoon work so well, other than the wonderful message, is the narration. Boris Karloff was perfect, this was the same person who provided the definitive portrayals of Frankenstein and the Mummy, yet you can't tell here. His rich voice dominates the cartoon, he has this melodious intonation as the narrator and he expertly made his Grinch mean enough without being too sinister for kids. All in all, see this gem, otherwise your Christmas is incomplete. 10/10 Bethany Cox
So what did make this gem so wonderful? Well the animation is a definite plus. While very simple, it is very colourful and heart warming. I don't care whether it was simple, I do think its simplicity added to its charm. Also the music is wonderful. The tunes are memorable, and I constantly find myself humming them. The story is the ultimate story of greed and bitterness and is very touching as well, and this film has been referenced in some Christmas films, Home Alone 2:Lost in New York immediately springs to mind. The characters are very lovable, the Grinch is very nasty without being too scary, Max the dog is adorable, and the citizens of Whooville represent everything we love about Christmas.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is also very true to Dr Seuss's story, which is every bit as funny, exciting and charming. Out of the adaptations of Dr Seuss's work I have seen so far, this is the only one I'd deem so far as a masterpiece; the Jim Carrey version of this gem was good not not in the same league as this but Cat in the Hat with Mike Myers was a disgrace. But what made the cartoon work so well, other than the wonderful message, is the narration. Boris Karloff was perfect, this was the same person who provided the definitive portrayals of Frankenstein and the Mummy, yet you can't tell here. His rich voice dominates the cartoon, he has this melodious intonation as the narrator and he expertly made his Grinch mean enough without being too sinister for kids. All in all, see this gem, otherwise your Christmas is incomplete. 10/10 Bethany Cox