Dr. Seuss' The Grinch

There's something about Dr. Seuss's work that feels timeless. Even though most of the stories he wrote take on otherworldly aspects, they were able to connect incredibly well with basic emotions. With the new adaptation of one of his most popular works, "The Grinch" unsuccessfully emulates the same otherworldly wonder. You can even look to Ron Howard's 2000 retooling to find some semblance of inspiration. With this iteration designed and produced by the team behind the "Despicable Me" franchise, the grumpy Grinch (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) is rendered an empty vessel that only cute affectations attempt to fill. The limp attempt at updating a classic tale ends up stripping the story of all its Seuss-ness.

That isn't to say that the work here isn't aesthetically pleasing. There's plenty of visual design to be impressed with, and it all looks gorgeous on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. It's just unfortunate that the world created in "The Grinch" looks and feels like it owes a seemingly large debt to the "Despicable Me" movies. The Grinch's silly and sinister inventions don't have the same kind of unfailing hubris. Every sequence feels like the Minions can and will pop up at any moment to join the story. Luckily, that never happens, but the threat remains. The Whos of Whoville are even rendered as uninteresting, as this adaptation doesn't invest in them outside of Cindy Lou Who and her mother. The exploration of the Grinch's past is ditched for something a lot more pedestrian and geared to let the animation company, Illumination, flex with zany set pieces.

Look, I get it. It's an adaptation of a children's book. But when you strip the design and story for the sake of throwing in new things, the outcome isn't always great. "The Grinch" stands as a perfect example of what happens when you tamper with the source material. It follows in the line of other critically maligned Dr. Seuss retellings, like 2003's "The Cat in the Hat."

For those still interested, this release does come with a long list of short special features. There are even three new "Mini-Movies" made just for the Blu-ray that I'm sure will be enjoyed by some. In two of them, we see the return of the Minions as they continue their antics in other silly situations. There's a short, but insightful, featurette titled "From Green to Screen," which details Illumination's approach to the source material, with behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews. This kind of look behind the production even details the progression of "The Grinch" as it detracts more and more from the source material. Other bonus features include:

� "The Making of the Mini-Movies," which details the work that went into the making of the three Mini-Movies produced for this Blu-ray
� The cast and crew detail the impact that Dr. Seuss's original story made on their lives in "My Earliest Grinch Memories"
� Put "Cindy-Lou's Yule Log" on during your next party and watch as The Grinch removes Christmas decorations from a festive fireplace
� Get interactive with "Who's Who in Who-Ville," a feature that lets you cycle through many of the Whoville's inhabitants to learn more about them

"The Grinch"
Universal Studios Blu-ray
$39.98
https://www.uphe.com/movies/illumination-presents-dr-seuss-the-grinch