Grinch steals appeal from story

Only Jim Carrey can hide behind head-to-toe green fur and still be both recognizable and amusing. Unfortunately for him it is somewhat difficult for Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas to live up to its pre-release hype. Audiences have come to expect nothing less than on-the-ball physical comedy from Carrey, however as the title role in Grinch, pouty lips, a frumpy accent and exaggerated movements can only take the film so far. It doesn't help that just about everyone in the theater will know the plot of the holiday tale like the back of their hands. Carrey plays the grouchy outcast who hates everything good, Christmas most of all. The movie follows his antics as he attempts to steal the Whos' most revered holiday and his struggle with loneliness and low self-esteem. The root of these emotions are traced through a series of flashbacks to the Grinch's childhood, which explain how his fear of being left out originated. A lot of what is wrong with he film stems from director Ron Howard's tendency to overemphasize and prolong the Grinch's mean streak, which gives the film a dark feel for much of the movie. The film's feel-good moments seem to be hurriedly packed in the end. Howard has the difficult task of taking a beloved children's classic and turning it into a holiday blockbuster. He takes a step in the right direction by tapping Carrey's larger-than-life persona to play the Grinch, but seems to take a step back by underutilizing appearances from Christine Baransky, Molly Shannon, Clint Howard and others as Whos. Their talent remains relatively untapped. Taylor Momsen has the most screen time as Little Cindy Lou-Who, the little girl who sees through the Grinch's facade. Overplaying works for Carrey, but for Momsen, whose redeeming character comes across as annoyingly sugarcoated with little substance, it does not. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, while touted as a family movie, is filled with Dumb and Dumber humor that takes the audience on a dark ride sprinkled with the occasional Christmas cheer and a happy ending. For all its faults, the movie is clearly Carrey's show. The film is worth watching if only to watch the Grinch in action. Rating: C+