2000, PG, 102 minutes

The joyful citizens of Whoville may not be the brightest bunch, but even they could tell you that the odds of this film living up to or surpassing the 1966 animated version are slim to none. Right from the get-go, Ron Howard and screenwriters Jeffrey Price and Peter Seaman were at a huge disadvantage, as it was a given that they would have to expand Dr. Seuss' story in order to make a film at least 90 minutes in length. Strangely enough, most of the additional plot points are actually quite good, while the downfall of the film is in the adaptation of Seuss' original material.

Make no mistake, this is definitely Jim Carrey's movie. In fact, it should've been called Jim Carrey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, as the final product has much more to do with his antics than it does with Dr. Seuss' brilliant tale (unfortunately). With all due respect to Carrey as a talented comedian, he simply didn't know when to stop. For the first hour or so he was completely in character (except for a few brief moments) and I really did think of him as the Grinch, but after he disguises himself as Santa Claus and steals all of that holiday loot, the story stops being about the Grinch and then becomes a spectacle where Jim Carrey tries to be as funny as possible. This is basically where everything falls apart. Sure, the story had its share of flaws before then, but the last ten minutes is a disgrace.

Since just about everyone knows the story of the Grinch, I won't bother explaining it. However, I will briefly describe some of the new material, as it makes a few drastic changes to the theme of the entire story. First of all, it's understandable that new plot points had to be introduced -- the movie had to be longer than an hour. Early on, we get to see a little bit of back-story, which does a brilliant job of explaining why the Grinch is so bitter and isolated from the rest of Whoville. This is good stuff that I believe Dr. Seuss would have approved of. On the other hand, with the good comes the bad. The single biggest mistake of this movie was the town's mayor. Ron Howard and crew tried to make the mayor into the story's villain, showing us a man who only cares about himself and not the spirit of Christmas. This was a terrible choice because the whole point of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is about the Grinch (the ultimate villain) finally coming to understand the spirit of the holiday and how it isn't about the gifts you receive. He is the one who learns the lesson, not the mayor.

Another big mistake is that the plot introduces the idea that the people of Whoville are getting to be more and more materialistic, which essentially undermines the story's theme. The Grinch is supposed to go through an epiphany when he looks down at the singing people of Whoville on Christmas morning, but instead he almost comes off as righteous (therefore making his transition a little dull). If you had never seen the cartoon or read the book, you would look at this movie and see the Grinch as someone who enlightens the people and reminds them of what Christmas is all about.

I realize that up to this point I've been picking this film apart, so I should mention that How the Grinch Stole Christmas certainly has its moments. The set design and the mountain landscapes (including the Grinch's curved peak) are simply stunning. This, along with the clouds above and the flailing drifts of snow, makes the appearance of this film an absolute piece of art. Also, the make-up work is some of the best to ever reach celluloid. Famed make-up artist Rick Baker does an excellent job of covering Jim Carrey with green, making him look completely like the Grinch without limiting the movement of his facial features. The mouse-like people of Whoville also look great with their pointed noses and large teeth, and best of all their faces never get distracting.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas isn't a bad film, it's a good film with a lot of flaws, which are difficult to get past for those of us who love the cartoon. There's a solid mix of humor for both children and adults, and the story maintains a consistent level of interest. Even if you don't like the creative license applied to Dr. Seuss' story, the visual appeal of this film alone makes it worth watching... just maybe on video.