Speaking in terms of ratings, "The Grinch" is a one star movie. I'm giving it the addition of another huge star in the form of Jim Carrey. As the title character, Mr. Carrey gives a performance of comic genius. He creates a full, complete character out of the one-note creature of Dr. Seuss' classic tale.
The problem is that Mr. Carrey is the only one given the opportunity to work. The entire population of Whoville, the town of the Grinch's disdain, is a freak show of one-note (I would say "one joke" but they're not funny) characters who are a function of the plot they are meant to pad out. And, in fact, this is the problem with the film. In the late 60s, the story of the Grinch was turned into a half-hour Christmas special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Those 22 minutes captured the tone and theme of the original Dr. Seuss tale perfectly and, it turns out, in the correct amount of time.
In blatantly stretching the same story out to 100 minutes, the filmmakers have created a film with absolutely no tension at all. Anthony Hopkins was a good choice as the narrator who pops up occasionally to recite the familiar verse of the original story. However, this only serves as a jarring reminder of how much of the film is padded out. While some of the new plot works (particularly the story of how the Grinch came to be) most of it (like a ludicrous love story for the Grinch himself that Mr. Carrey doesn't even seem interested in pursuing) feels like an insult to the original story. As a result, the audience is forced to watch the film waiting for the inevitable third Act when the Grinch puts his plan into action to steal Christmas.
Thankfully, every time Mr. Carrey is on screen is a blessing. He never lets up and he rarely misses with a punchline. It is unclear how much of his lines were adlibbed since they all seem to spin wildly out of his mind. Director Ron Howard may have given Mr. Carrey free reign to run amok, which is the one good choice Mr. Howard made. While the director is adapt at both comic and dramatic stories (Splash, Apollo 13) he seems to lack the control necessary to create a film of wonder and awe. And unfortunately, he invites comparisons to Tim Burton, whose "Edward Scissorhands" created the tone that Mr. Howard should have been able to achieve here. Instead, we are left waiting for Mr. Carrey's Grinch to steal Christmas, and along with it, the film itself.
