The Grinch Review: 3 Ups & 6 Downs

3. The Pacing Is All Over The Place

Much like the 2000 film, the pacing here is a complete mess, and a big part of the problem is that Dr. Seuss' source material is incredibly brief, not easily lending itself to a feature length movie (hence why the 1966 TV special was just 26 minutes long).

Despite the story clearly being stretched out to fit its run-time, large portions of the film actually feel oddly rushed through, namely The Grinch's hatred of Christmas and his eventual embracing of the Christmas spirit.

The Ron Howard film at least gave the character a defined arc, but here the edges have been softened and The Grinch is a decidedly less harsh and spiteful character from the outset.

Also, the introduction of a new reindeer character, Fred, feels rather forced, especially as he exits the movie almost as randomly and suddenly as he enters it. The movie expects us to feel something when he leaves...despite him being on screen for only a few scenes.

Even though the core movie sans credits isn't even 80 minutes long, it's shocking just how much of a drag it feels at times, and clearly a more conventional plot structure would've helped it maintain a steadier pace.