(rated PG)
He’s a mean one, Mr. Grinch….and in this live action adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic, this remake is also a pretty bad one. A Grinch (Jim Carrey) who hates Christmas, decides to keep the holiday from coming to Who-ville by sneaking into the town on the eve of the big day to steal everything that’s associated with the holiday. Much like the real life sensation that hits five minutes after all the Christmas gifts are opened, this movie leaves you empty. It’s dark, it’s dismal and the only light is the superb talent of Carrey, who like the Grinch, is already larger than life. The grown up references will keep parents interested and that same audience will appreciate Carrey, able to bend his body in ways that would send the rest of us to the chiropractor. Grinch’s childhood flame is Christine Baranski. The Whos, include little Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) and her parents Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon, all who look and play their characters right-on with the help of nose flip-up looking masks, but after all the makeup and wizardry is stripped, there’s little left. Sort of metaphoric of the movie’s theme, wouldn’t you say?