Dr Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Sir Anthony Hopkins narrates Dr Seuss' classic tale of a man who simply doesn't like Christmas. Jim Carrey stars as the Grinch, who decides to steal Christmas from the town of Whoville after being shunned due to his ugly appearance.
Stephen Holden
The New York Times
'Urgh. The shrill, overstuffed, spiritless cinematic contraption being marketed under the label Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a depressing reminder that when Hollywood decides to lavish more than US$100 million (HK$780 million) on a beloved children's story, that money has to go somewhere. The movie is so clogged with kooky gadgetry and special effects and glitter and goo that watching it feels like being gridlocked at Toys 'R' Us during the Christmas rush. Both the film and its omnivorous star, Jim Carrey, who seems to change voices every few seconds, come at you from so many directions at once that half the time you don't know where to look or how to react . . . The moral of the original tale says that Christmas can't be bought in a store. Although the film dutifully peddles the same message, here it is all but buried under the tonnage of junk and gimmickry, saccharine music (by James Horner) and a story that portrays the residents of Whoville as pig-snouted toy people who are almost as selfish and mean-spirited as the Grinch himself.'
Kenneth Turan
LA Times