5 ways this Grinch is better than the 2000 live action movie I'm love the Jim Carrey movie The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Or at least I thought I did. But this animated version is superior in five ways:
1. The Grinch is sad and lonely and miserable. He's not angry and bitter and disgusting. That's an interesting take on the guy. Jim Carrey took the disgusting Grinch as far as it could go. In this movie you like the Grinch and he is kind to Max and to his reindeer. It's unexpected and kinda cool.
2. The Whos are fundamentally good. Yes Suess wrote the book as a lesson against commercialism of Christmas, but the village joins together and happily sings without all that stuff. In this version, they are good-hearted and love Christmas - Even singing religious songs! In the 2000 film they are competitive, gossipy, mean, bullying, selfish and easily misled by a vindictive mayor. Where'd that come from?
3. With better characters you also don't have any fear and hate of someone who is different. The Whos don't fear or dislike the Grinch. They dislike some of his behavior. Far more enlightened.
4. The kids and side characters were all cute as hell. Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 movie was the only bright spot in a dark world.
5. The narration by Pherrell and the extra verse throughout is clever and cool. The 2000 film seemed a little too afraid to depart from or add to Seuss' own words. This movie takes risks and they pay off.