I’m 38 years old, which means that Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas was already 16 years old when I was born. This classic animated movie is a holiday staple every season and is my generation’s go-to Grinch movie. I haven’t seen this particular entry in ages, which meant I was completely shocked to learn it is only 26 minutes long. My entire life, I thought this film was a feature-length and was quite shocked to learn of its short length.
I’ve been spoiled as a child, thanks in part to major technological advancements. As I have pointed out in previous reviews, the 2018 Grinch, produced by Illumination, is the greatest version of the Christmas anti-hero.
This 1966 short was a step back in time. The production was orchestrated by Chuck Jones, who is famous for most things Looney Tunes. The animated was great for the time period, except for poor Max. He is quite hideous as a dog, and I have never seen an animal take so much abuse before in a movie.
Jim Carrey may be a jerk, yet this particular animated Grinch is by far the meanest. He is dark and borderline evil. We all know he plans to spoil Christmas; however, he has a really ruthless personality. I felt given the short amount of time he had to work with, he had the worse attitude.
It is hard to knock a classic film that so many people enjoy. No matter how many they remake the Grinch, this will always be the gold standard. I prefer the modern version, which had a lot more heart and soul than the classic. The best thing about this animated short may be the iconic “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” performed by Thurl Ravenscroft.
I understand this movie holds a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes; I just don’t feel that way anymore. 3/10
Ten Stars or Less 