The 2018 film The Grinch continues to dominate Netflix, moving up and down the streamer’s top 10 list over the past week or so without ever leaving the rankings. The movie’s popularity should come as no surprise, either, as like many of animation studio Illumination’s efforts, it can rival even Disney when it comes to entertaining younger audiences. Among other things, it also sports an admirable vocal performance from Benedict Cumberbatch.
Based on the beloved story by children’s author Dr. Seuss, The Grinch follows a fuzzy green creature with a bad temperament and a sincere hatred for Christmas. This is a problem for him, as the holiday plays a particularly important role in his native town of Whoville. Rather than suffering through another year’s torment, however, this time the Grinch decides to ‘steal’ it all away.
The story has been adapted many times over. In the previous century, Looney Tunes animation legend Chuck Jones directed a television special which gave shape and form to the character’s now-iconic grin. When the twenty-first century came around, Jim Carrey then delivered an impressive and above all memorable performance of the character in his live-action debut.
Illumination is no stranger when it comes to adapting Dr. Seuss stories, either. For starters, many of the studio’s animators worked on or helped with the 2008 Blue Sky project Horton Hears A Who!, based on another story set in Whoville. In 2012, Illumination then took on the lesser-known but equally Seussian story of the Lorax, whose eco-friendly message went woefully unheard.
The Grinch features Illumination’s trademark slapstick humor and its protagonist is also accompanied by an animal companion. The film even features the voice of Pharrell Williams, and though it’s only got a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s a perfectly enjoyable outing that’ll surely keep the young ones entertained.
But tell us, if you’ve seen The Grinch, how do you think Benedict Cumberbatch‘s performance compares to Carrey’s? Let us know in the comments section down below.