The New Grinch In Town

So tonight I went to see the new Grinch movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Christmas-hater himself. After seeing this version, I immediately brought my friend to my house to sit down and watch the classic version starring Jim Carrey. The Benedictian version was cute and fun, and there were some laughable moments, but as I watched one of my favorite Christmas movies for the hundredth time, I was once again blown away by how truly excellent the Jim Carrey version is. I also noticed there was a huge contrast with whom both movies were targeted towards. This new Grinch, who is supposed to be the epitome of hatred and evil, literally goes down to Whoville to buy his groceries. There’s not a lot of digging to get to his gooey, emotional bits, and I feel like his heart was barely 1/2 size too small, let alone the 2 sizes it’s supposed to be. On the other hand, Jim Carrey in a green fur suit eats raw onions, rotten banana peels, and glass, and throws a child into dangerous machinery. Also he’s literally so hilarious the whole time, with 75% of the jokes in the movie being completely marketed to teens and adults. It’s something I laughed at with my younger innocence when I liked his antics but didn’t really understand the jokes, and now that I get them it’s ten times funnier. So while Benedict is an icon himself, he plays a meaner dragon than green furry dude, and Jim Carrey completely embodies the insecure, sassy badass that the Grinch truly is at heart.

-- Holly