The Grinch arrives with a tagline that promises a heist: “It was the heist before Christmas.” What the film delivers is a scheme, an 85-minute runtime, and a green grump with a heart “two sizes too small.” Benedict Cumberbatch voices him. Pharrell Williams narrates. The whole thing runs on Illumination polish and not much else.
Trailer, via Illumination.
Benedict Cumberbatch and the American Accent
Cumberbatch was cast in April 2016. Illumination wanted his natural accent; he argued the Grinch should sound American because the rest of the cast is. He won. It is the most decisive thing the Grinch does in 85 minutes.
The Grinch lives in a cave with his dog, Max. He goes into Whoville only for groceries. The Whos are excited about Christmas. He is not.
Cindy-Lou Who and Donna
Six-year-old Cindy-Lou notices her single mother Donna is overworked raising her and twin infant brothers, Buster and Bean. The setup is the film’s warmest thread, and Rashida Jones plays Donna with real weariness.
Cindy-Lou first writes to Santa. After the Grinch sarcastically tells her to ask Santa face-to-face, she plans a trip to the North Pole. Donna says a round trip would take a month. So Cindy-Lou tries to trap Santa instead, with help from her friends.
The Tree-Lighting Failure and Fred
The Grinch tries to sabotage Whoville’s tree-lighting ceremony. He fails. Flashbacks to his unhappy childhood follow, and he resolves to steal Christmas outright.
He and Max acquire a fat reindeer he names Fred, and steal a sleigh from neighbor Bricklebaum, voiced by Kenan Thompson. After a test run, they learn Fred has a family. The Grinch lets him go. It is the one scene where the film’s sentiment lands without strain.
Christmas Eve and the Trap
On Christmas Eve, the Grinch disguises himself as Santa, builds dozens of gadgets, and sends Max down to Whoville pulling the sleigh in Fred’s place. He falls into Cindy-Lou’s trap.
She asks him to lighten her mother’s workload. She tells him to listen to the Whos’ singing to ease his sadness. The Grinch and Max take the decorations and presents anyway.
Angela Lansbury as Mayor McGerkle
Angela Lansbury voices Mayor McGerkle. Cameron Seely is Cindy-Lou. Kenan Thompson is Bricklebaum. The voice cast is deep and largely underused.
Danny Elfman composed the score. Tyler, the Creator reworked “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and wrote and performed an original song. The music is the most confident element on screen.
The Third Adaptation of Dr. Seuss
This is the third screen adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, after the 1966 television special and the 2000 live-action film. It was announced in 2013 with Peter Candeland directing. Mosier took over as co-director in 2018; Candeland kept an additional story direction credit.
The film opened in the United States on November 9, 2018, from Universal Pictures, and grossed $553 million. The commercial result is not in question. The artistic one is.
What the $553 Million Buys
The Grinch is competent and weightless. The animation is clean, the pacing is brisk, and the emotional beats are placed exactly where the formula says they go. Nothing here surprises, and nothing here offends.
The flashbacks to the Grinch’s childhood are meant to explain him. They flatten him instead. A character built on a heart “two sizes too small” does not need a backstory; he needs a reason to change, and the film hands him Cindy-Lou’s advice about listening to the Whos’ singing rather than anything he discovers himself.
The heist structure is the biggest missed chance. The tagline sells a caper, and the film gives it a short run before retreating to warmth. The gadgets are built, the sleigh is stolen, and then the movie loses interest in its own premise.
Cumberbatch is fine. He is not memorable. The American accent decision was correct and the performance is still thin, because the script gives him sarcasm and sulking and little between them.
This version has $553 million and no reason to exist beyond the calendar.
The Numbers
- Runtime: 85 minutes
- US release: November 9, 2018
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Box office: $553 million
- Metacritic: 51/100
- Our score: 5.1/10
Production Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Film announced; Peter Candeland set to direct |
| April 2016 | Benedict Cumberbatch cast as the Grinch |
| September 2018 | Angela Lansbury set as Mayor of Whoville |
| November 9, 2018 | US theatrical release |
| 2018 | Mosier takes over as co-director |
The Grinch is a 5.1 of 10. It is watchable, well-scored, and entirely unnecessary.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
