Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Nothing says Christmas like the bastardizing of a classic. For those expecting to go into Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas and come out with some holiday cheer, well... think again.

Instead, Ron Howard's 2000 live-action remake takes all of the poetry out of the Christmas classic. Here, it takes almost an hour before the Grinch gets down to business to unleash his can of Christmas Eve whoop-ass on the unsuspecting citizens of Whoville. The bulk of the movie shows the Grinch messing with the mail (a felony!) and making prank calls. There's also a bit of a background about the Grinch, which really tells you nothing of substance, but does add to the film's 105-minute runtime.

Jim Carrey is creepy, kooky, and pretty much the only redeeming quality here. However, all of his rubber-faced mugging isn't going to help you get through the movie. After a while, all of his prancing, noise and maggot-filled teeth are just headache inducing.

Taylor Momsen (Gossip Girl) is a cute Cindy Lou Who, but it's her apple cheeks that do all of the work. The rest of the citizens of Whoville come off as materialistic, competitive and greedy. After all, isn't that what Christmas is all about?

Think this review is too Grinch-y? Check out Joe Lozito's review of the theatrical release of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

The Picture

The Grinch didn't just steal Christmas -- he swiped this release's imagery as well. It's appalling to say the least. The black levels are horrible. Also, while many holiday movies are filled with colors popping, all of the ones here are dim. It's like watching a movie through a snow globe.

The Sound

The DTS-HD Master Audio track fares slightly better. The dialogue is delivered well and there are songs, bells and other noises that you'd typically hear at any mall during the holiday shopping season. However, despite the Grinch's many herky-jerky moments, which are loud and filled with effects, the sounds stick close to the front speakers.

The Extras

Stink, stank, stunk! Looking at the back of the box, you'd think this set was booming with goodies. However, when you add everything up, there's less than an hour of extras. All of them are also golden oldies, from Universal's 2002 Deluxe DVD release. Everything is in standard definition, too. It would have been nice if Universal had added some HD cheer to this lineup, which mostly talks about set design, makeup, effects and other tidbits about making the classic come to life. However, considering how poor the actual film looks on Blu-ray, it might not have made a difference.

Final Thoughts

The Grinch may be the mean one, but this remake is downright disappointing. There's no denying that the cartoon is a Christmas classic. The live-action adapation? Not so much. Instead of wasting your time on this mess, go for the animated version, which just got its own, much better release.

Product Details

• Actors: Jim Carrey, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon, Clint Howard, Taylor Momsen
• Director: Ron Howard
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), DVS DD 2.0 (English), DTS 5.1 (Spanish, French)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 2
• Rating: PG
• Studio: Universal Pictures
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: October 13, 2009
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• List Price: $29.98
• Extras:
  • Standard-Def DVD Version
  • Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard
  • Spotlight on Locations
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Outtakes
  • Who School
  • Makeup Application and Design
  • Seussian Set Decoration
  • Visual Effects
  • Music Video: Faith Hill "Where are You Christmas?"
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • D-Box Motion Enabled