With the original feature, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” airing in 1966, the remake in 2018 was made just barely over 50 years after the classic Christmas favorite. It’s got lots of wonderful story elements that make it an excellent remake, while also paying homage to the original via the classic song, rhymes from the book, and of course the iconic characters (alongside a few new faces).
The remake had remarkable animation and was very well made. You could tell that the animators put a lot of time and detail into making it look as appealing and pleasing to the eyes as possible. The famous “Mr. Grinch” song was noticeably more modern in this movie, but it still had the iconic lines from the original, which I feel gave it its own flair without making it a completely new song altogether.
There were lots of funny jokes in the movie and plenty of references that sparked a smile, as well as just making it entertaining to watch. All of the interpretations of the Grinch are remarkably entertaining, but I feel that this movie did an especially great job of appealing to all viewers in that the jokes weren’t necessarily aimed specifically at kids or adults, but rather the comedy in the movie was enjoyable for all ages.
Cindy Lou Who is shown as a much more capable and clever child whose primary plot of the movie is that she wants to talk to Santa Claus. She’s got a group of friends who she makes a plan with to catch him, and she’s even got all sorts of neat hangout spots and ways to get around. Cindy Lou wants to ask Santa to help her mom out, since she struggles to keep up with all the kids. This was a great way of showing that she is a loving and caring child who wants the best for those she cares about.
The movie did a wonderful job of remaking a couple things that the original lacked or struggles with. The best example of this was the actual conflict of the movie itself. In the original, the Grinch simply hates Christmas and decides that he will ruin it for the Who’s because he is tired of dealing with it. In this version, however, the main story line of the movie is caused by the fact that Christmas was supposed to be 3 times bigger in the movie, so he had actual motivation to finally put it to an end, rather than him just feeling like it was one year the way it happened in the original. In addition, it showed that he had been in an orphanage in Whoville with no Christmas when he was younger, which was the root of his hatred for Christmas, as he saw the Who’s singing and feasting while he got nothing.
All in all, the Grinch has managed to stay as a wonderful family favorite even after 52 years. Via remakes and other forms of entertainment, Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” remains a story that is known by all during Christmas time.
