1. It’s a fool’s errand to remake a Chuck Jones piece of animation, period, full stop. I can say with no hesitation that this is better than the Jim Carrey-starring version from 2000, but...y’know. Most movies are, simply by not being embarrassingly garish. This film’s lack of visual and verbal wit not only fails to match the Jones special. It’s too hollow to feel appropriate to its source material.
2. Here’s an origin story idea: how did the Grinch meet…
Not every Disney animated film should become a live-action remake.
New podcast on the oddness of this film with special guest Karen Han: traffic.libsyn.com/mousterpiececinema/Mousterpiece_Cinema_Episode_376.mp3
"How did it feel, strapping that thing to your back and flying like a bat out of hell?"
"Well, it's the closest I'll ever get to heaven, Mr. Hughes."
What an exciting, uncynical, legitimately fun this movie still is, 22 years after the fact.
I think that maybe the best part of this incredible film is Jon Brion's drum-heavy build-up to the phone call between Sandler and PSH. It knows how explosive the call is, and it knows how explosive we want the call to be.
My God, what a movie.
