I was raised on Dr. Seuss books, so naturally, I make time every holiday season to sit down and watch the cartoon and the live movie version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.  With over-the-top costumes and a loveable bad guy, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is very entertaining. These films also remind viewers what the Christmas season is all about.

In the town of Whoville, Christmas is the most important time of the year, and when it rolls around, everyone goes crazy with Christmas cheer.  Well, everyone except for the Grinch, a hairy green Who that lives on Mt. Crumpet with his dog, Max. Cindy Lou Who, a young Who that isn’t quite feeling the Christmas spirit, does some investigation and discovers that the Grinch was humiliated as a child, which spurred his hatred of Christmas and the Whos. Cindy Lou befriends the Grinch and soon nominates him for Christmas Cheer Meister, which reunites the Grinch with many of his childhood friends and enemies.  As a final attempt to show his hatred for Christmas, the Grinch decides to steal all of the presents in Whoville and ruin everyone’s Christmas.

Jim Carry does a very good job portraying the sarcastic and misunderstood Grinch, while adding comedic relief through the side comments from the Grinch. A very young Taylor Momsen, who plays Cindy Lou Who, captures the innocence and childhood charm that Dr. Seuss intended for the character. The other cast members, including Jeffrey Tambor, who plays Mayor Maywho, and Christine Baranski, who plays Marth May Whovie, did a good job bringing the town of Whoville to life with enthusiasm and excitement.

 The costume design and set design of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is impressive.  While the costumes are very ostentatious, they portray the cartoon essence from the original book. The set design, complete with a giant Christmas tree and lots of fake snow, creates a sort of Winter Wonderland that is full of holiday spirit. The storyline is very easy to follow, and the viewer doesn’t have to think about multiple plot lines going on at the same time. 

If given the choice, I would choose the animated version over the live version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. While the amount of holiday spirit can be overwhelming at times, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is a must see every holiday season. With a heartwarming ending and an amusing plot, this movie keeps the viewers attention.  This movie is perfect for young children and people who want to reminisce over a childhood favorite.

The live action “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is rated PG for crude humor.