4. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Theres a good reason Dr. Suess books are wafer-thin. Theyre meant to be read by parents to put their toddlers to bed, or by children themselves once they start learning to read. Theres also a good reason why 1966s How The Grinch Stole Christmas became a beloved holiday TV special: Chuck Jones animation is wonderful, Boris Karloffs narration and voice of The Grinch are perfect, and the story encapsulates the true spirit of Christmas in 22 short minutes. It was never conducive to a full-blown feature film, nor are any other Dr. Suess books, for that matter. Weve been bombarded by them over the past decade and a half (both CG animated & live-action), and all are nothing more than cynical attempts to cash in on a brand name. The live-action remake, The Grinch, may have made a pile of money (probably because it features Jim Carrey at his most unhinged), but youd be hard-pressed to find someone who actually likes this movie. Believe it or not, yet-another feature-length version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is currently in development. This one will be fully CG-animated, yet doesnt change the fact that the original book can be read and enjoyed in a fraction of a movies running time, meaning it will be just as unnecessarily padded-out as the Jim Carrey version. Since CG animation is no longer a novelty, finding a reason for this films existence is a challenge. Its hard to imagine anyone improving on the original TV special, which is still aired every year during the holidays.
WHAT COULD SAVE THIS FILM: It stands to reason that the only way this film will be successful is if little kids consider traditional animation as irrelevant and archaic as those who poo-poo old movies filmed in black and white. A sad, but potentially true, reality.