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Movies / On DVD / How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

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Reviews Counted:125

Fresh:67

Rotten:58

Average Rating:5.6/10

Consensus: Jim Carrey shines as the Grinch. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this movie. You'd be better off watching the TV cartoon.

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Childrens

Synopsis: Director Ron Howard casts comedian Jim Carrey in the title role in this live-action adaptation of the famous Christmas tale by Dr. Seuss, giving this rendition of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS a... Director Ron Howard casts comedian Jim Carrey in the title role in this live-action adaptation of the famous Christmas tale by Dr. Seuss, giving this rendition of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS a delightfully manic spin. Carrey is virtually unrecognizable in his elaborate green makeup, but his anarchic comic touch is unmistakable. He manages to fully embody the grumpy title character, while still supplying his own comedic touches, and it is his performance that makes the film a treat for adults and children alike. The candy-colored set design for the town of Whoville and the jubilant score contribute to the overall feeling of innocuous fantasy that the Grinch disrupts with his dastardly deeds. The familiar story of the Grinch stealing every present in town on Christmas Eve has been expanded to incorporate flashbacks to the Grinch's childhood, which serve to explain his hostility toward the Whos. As Cindy Lou-Who, a little girl so sweet she sees goodness even in the Grinch, young Taylor Momsen strikes just the right note of adorable ingenuousness. Howard gets the performance the film needs from her, as her character makes the Grinch's eventual change of heart both believable and touching. [More]

Starring: Jim Carrey, Molly Shannon, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski

Starring: Jim Carrey, Molly Shannon, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Verne Troyer, Mindy Sterling, Bill Irwin, Clint Howard, Taylor Momsen

Director: Ron Howard

Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman
Producer: Brian Grazer
Composer: James Horner
Studio: Universal Pictures

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Reviews for How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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This cinematic candy floss honours the Seussian universe by satirising our own. And Carrey's comic tornado of a performance is a triumph.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Colourful adaptation of the children’s classic by Dr Seuss, redeemed by a combination of Jim Carrey’s manic performance, the sets and the make-up.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/02
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Definitely worth adding to the Christmas movie pantheon, but not at the expense of the original.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/10/01
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Howard has certainly nailed the playfully eccentric other world of Whoville.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/16/01
Michael Thomson
Michael Thomson
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of the ugliest movies ever perpetrated on a mass audience.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
02/07/01
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

Carrey, with another ground-breaking performance, single-handedly elevates it to something much better.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Five-year-olds might go for it, but people who grew up with Jones' version will be looking at their watches and grinding their teeth.

Full Review Source: Slate | comment 2 Comments
02/05/08
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
Slate

Cloying fancy gives way to gross-out comedy, twisted social commentary, affecting pathos, and weirdly sexualized romance in this lurid live-action version of the classic children's book.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 1 Comment
02/05/08
Lisa Alspector
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader

Parents can relax: Ron Howard's version of Dr. Seuss' tale of the Christmas-napping Grinch is a smartly stylized hoot.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/05/08
Steve Simels
Steve Simels
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Shrill, strenuous and entirely without charm.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 2 Comments
02/05/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The costumes astound, the sight gags abound, but the heart, oh the heart, now that must be found.

Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment 1 Comment
11/29/07
Vera H-C Chan
Vera H-C Chan
Contra Costa Times

...A jumbled mess, art-directed to within an inch of its life...

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment 1 Comment
09/24/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Unfortunately, Ron Howard is the Grinch who stole Christmas from Jim Carrey.

Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment 1 Comment
09/21/07
Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

A holiday gift, The Grinch just may steal the hearts of kids and grown-ups alike.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
11/20/06
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

Universal Pictures has definitely left something under your Christmas tree, but you might want to clean it up soon before it leaves a permanent stain.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Chris Gore
Chris Gore
Film Threat

In adding material, The Grinch loses much of its rhythm and the heart within it shrinks three sizes right along with it.

Full Review Source: Movie Views | comment Comment
12/10/03
Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell
Movie Views

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is thick with irony but doesn't have the guts to explore any of it.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
10/23/03
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

If God is in the details, then this is the most righteous movie ever made.Jim Carrey is the only man deserving to interpret Chuck Jones' animation.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
07/03/03
Karina Montgomery
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Latest News for How the Grinch Stole Christmas

August 01, 2007: Trailer Bulletin: Horton Hears a Who
The last few times somebody tried to turn Dr. Seuss into a movie, the results were ... How the Grinch Stole Christmas and (dear lord) The Cat in the Hat. And then somebody got... More...

February 05, 2007: Jim Carrey Talks About Voicing Dr. Seuss' "Horton"
Jim Carrey did such a bang up job as the live-action "Grinch" that he's landed himself another Dr. Seuss gig. The "Horton Hears a Who" film will be animated... More...

September 13, 2006: Funny Men Carrey, Carell Re-Team for "Who"
Jim Carrey is teaming up with Dr. Seuss once more, and this time, Steve Carell is tagging, The reason? Probably because they had so much fun in "Bruce Almighty."... More...

December 21, 2005: Critical Consensus: "Dick & Jane" Not Much Fun; "Cheaper" Is Bankrupt
This week's wide releases include a remake ("Fun With Dick and Jane") and a sequel to a remake ("Cheaper By the Dozen 2"). Will critics be laughing at these... More...

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