Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

It's an intriguing proposition to make, I'm sure. Ron Howard stands in front of the executives at a Hollywood studios and tells them how he loves Dr. Seuss' The Grinch and that he'd like to make it into a feature film. Dollar signs are instantly seen in the executives' eyes. They quickly give the green light and shove him out the door, letting him hire his crew and cast, hurrying along the production of what is sure to become one of the biggest hits of the year.

The Grinch was initially a 26 minute short animated film, one that is loved dearly by many. There are many problems associated with extending something that is so short into something feature length. Entire plotlines must be developed, characters have to be introduced, and back-stories must be invented. The script writers use all these tactics with mixed results. The characters that are not part of the original are lackluster but the tale about how The Grinch came to dislike Christmas is interesting. The script is pretty spotty in the humor department as well: most of the jokes fall flat. If it wasn't for Jim Carrey's inspired interpretation of the famous title character, the film probably would've been little less than a showcase for Rick Baker's make-up and extraordinary sets.

Jim Carrey plays our favorite Christmas-hating scrooge, The Grinch. I'm waiting for when people will proclaim Jim Carrey as one of the best actors around in all genres of film. He's done serious roles masterfully (The Truman Show), he's done pure comedic performances with wrily wit (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), and he's done interpretations of legendary characters with cunning accuracy (Man on the Moon). And yet, he's received very little accolades for his exemplary work. I suppose it will have to come in the form of an Oscar before people will take notice. His performance as the sniveling, face-contorting Grinch is truly excellent. I hope he finally gets a nomination for his performance. The fact that he hasn't gotten one for his past two roles (Truman and Moon) is flabbergasting. Carrey's antics as The Grinch are so amusing, his expressions so genuine that you're almost willing to forgive the story lulls.

Ron Howard hasn't made a bad film yet. His streak, thankfully, continues. While not the home-run that I had envisioned, The Grinch is an amusing look at an Ebenezer Scrooge like character with a heart two sizes too small. He lives hundreds of feet above the town of Whoville, where the Who's reside. The Who's treasure Christmas time like no other time of the year, and they want nothing to do with The Grinch's feelings toward Christmas. But when Cindy Lou Who sees something in The Grinch that others can't see, that he possibly has a heart of gold, she makes the town begin to accept The Grinch. The Grinch, of course, doesn't realize that deep down he has some goodness. It's his job to suppress it, and Cindy's job to bring it out.

The film has amazing sets, and amazing make-up. Jim Carrey's face contorts all over the place, and the pounds of make-up plastered on his face by Rick Baker's crew does nothing to hinder his expressions. Its a marvel of a job, perhaps the best I've ever seen. The sets are wonderfully comic. They're all pastel colored and shining with Christmas lights. The Grinch's lair is equally amazing, with its distinct green hues associated with everything. It's a wonderful production to a classic tale.

There are times when the movie drags. Most of these times aren't helped that much by the attempts at humor in the script. Sure, there are some very funny lines and scenes, but as a whole most of them don't work. Carrey does all he can with the script that he's given, and perhaps all the humor this story needs are the expressions on his green face. It's clear that they worked off a short film that is nearly one-fourth its length.

At times special effects threaten to take over the story. Every scene seems peppered with digital alterations of every kind. It comes dangerously close to being distracting to the story.

Who's to know if Dr. Seuss would have liked his tale being transferred to the big screen with a $70 million dollar budget. Who's to know if he would have had a bigger part in the creation of a film version of his most legendary character. I know for one thing though: he would have enjoyed Carrey's peformance. I also know that every person who sees this will see greatness in one of our most gifted actors.

On a scale of 1 to 10 big green men : 6