Christmas Came Early with the 4K Re-Release of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
The temperature’s dropping and there’s a chill in the air. It can only mean one thing: it’s time to break out the holiday movies! Everyone has yearly favorites, and those usually include some version of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. A generation of mid-nineties kids grew up with Ron Howard’s 2000 version of the story as the definitive version of this Christmas tale. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the film’s premiere, a 4K Ultra HD edition has been released, with plenty of bonus footage to get you in the holiday spirit!
In the world of Whoville, Christmas is the most magical time of year. Whos run around town buying mountains of presents for all the people in their lives. Amidst the chaos of early Christmas shopping, little Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) feels conflicted. If Christmas is supposed to be a time of year to care for those in need, why is everyone running around buying gifts for people who already have a lot. Her understanding of the world is further shaken when she’s saved from a freak accident by the Grinch (Jim Carrey), a green, hairy creature who lives in a cave and is a local legend. Cindy Lou must now find the true spirit of Christmas.
courtesy of Universal
When it was originally released, Howard’s version was widely panned by critics and audiences. It still sits at a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, but that feels like a deeply unfair score for a film brimming with so much heart. Even those who usually bristle at Carrey’s over-the-top comedy can recognize that he disappears into the role of the Grinch. So much so that one might imagine his face and mouth can do all that without any of the prosthetics glued to his face. Carrey handles the Grinch’s character development marvelously as he goes from curmudgeonly and isolated to still curmudgeonly but surrounded by community. The message of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is that the holidays are a feeling. While materialism may have taken hold of Christmas, movies like this remind the audience of the true meaning of the most wonderful time of year. We shouldn’t shun those who are different from us. Instead, we should bring them into the fold and recognize that it’s our differences that make our communities stronger.
Perhaps some viewers in the early-2000s didn’t warm up to this adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ story because it deviates from the source material. The most famous iteration of the tale is the 1966 television special that has a runtime of only twenty-six minutes. Howard’s 2000 adaptation is 104 minutes. The extra time is used to expand the world of Whoville, add a backstory for the Grinch, and give Cindy Lou Who a compelling personal journey as she learns what this holiday means. “I myself am having some yuletide doubts,” she tells the Grinch in her sweet little kid voice. That line, coupled with the powerhouse ballad “Where Are You Christmas?,” also performed by Cindy Lou Who, really brings the message home.
In a time when studio films rely so heavily on CGI effects, it’s wonderful to fall back into the practical world of Whoville. The sets are gorgeous, rightfully nominated for an Academy Award, and they instill a tangible feeling in the audience, as though Whoville is a real place they would like to take a walk through. This level of immersion has been lost in favor of the relative ease offered by computer-generated effects. In this restored, 4K Ultra HD format, How the Grinch Stole Christmas feels more alive than ever.
Bonus Content Available on Disc & Digital for Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas 25th Anniversary Edition:
25 Years Later: The Gift of THE GRINCH (NEW) –Director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, make-up artist Rick Baker and actor Taylor Momsen look back on the making of the holiday classic and discuss its legacy.
Spotlight on Location
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Who School –An inside look at how actors learned to walk, talk, and move like real Whos from Whoville.
Makeup Application and Design –Go behind the scenes to see the elaborate process of creating the Grinch’s iconic look and the Whos’ whimsical styles.
Seussian Set Decoration –Explore how Dr. Seuss’s imaginative world was brought to life through colorful, larger-than-life set designs.
Visual Effects –Discover the movie magic that blended practical effects with cutting-edge technology to transform Whoville.
Music Video: Faith Hill “Where Are You Christmas?”
Theatrical Trailer
Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard – Hear stories and insights from director Ron Howard as he reflects on bringing the classic to the big screen.
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