"Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did NOT." - Boris Karloff as the narrator
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas DVD Review
By A.J. Carson
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, director Chuck Jones was responsible for creating some of the most memorable Looney Tunes shorts of all time, including the singing frog tale "One Froggy Evening," the opera spoof "What's Opera, Doc?," and all of the Road Runner cartoons. In the 1960s, however, Warner Brothers halted production of animated shorts, and Jones was let go. He wasn't through dreaming up animated classics, though. In 1966, he teamed up with children's book author Theodor Geisel - more commonly known as Dr. Seuss - to bring Geisel's holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas to TV. Together, they transformed the short book into a beloved holiday classic.
The special focuses on the Grinch, a furry green blob of a creature with an extremely bad attitude. What makes the Grinch so grumpy? It could be that his shoes are too tight, or that his heart is two sizes too small - it's impossible to tell. He lives atop a mountain overlooking Whoville, a bustling town filled with happy creatures called Whos. As the Whos prepare for Christmas - which for them involves a chaotic, noisy, and fun celebration filled with psychedelic musical instruments and meals of roast beast - the Grinch grows angrier and angrier. Why should anyone else have a joyous time when he is so miserable? On Christmas Eve, he hatches the perfect plan to end the Whos' shenanigans. While the Whos sleep, the dastardly curmudgeon will sneak into town and steal Christmas. That's right - every decoration, every present, every musical instrument, and every last bit of food. Surely waking up to empty houses will put a damper on the Whos' festivities. With the help of his faithful dog Max, the Grinch carries out his plan. What he doesn't realize, however, is that unlike decorations, presents, psychedelic musical instruments, and food, the Christmas spirit is impossible to steal.
Animators slightly changed the look of the characters when adapting Geisel's book illustrations for the small screen. The result is spectacular. The Grinch's face is amazingly expressive. He seems to have three hundred teeth, each fighting for prime space in his foul mouth. When he comes up with his fiendish plan, the Grinch's entire face curls up as he breaks into an evil, churlish grin. Even his lanky green hair seems to smile maliciously in this brief instant. Max the dog is just as vividly drawn as his owner. The look of pure glee on Max's face when he mistakenly thinks that he will be riding in the Grinch's sleigh rather than pulling it is delightfully funny.
The cartoon is brimming with such exciting details. The visuals are a perfect match for Geisel's imaginative writing. The author is equally adept at creating nonsense words that seem to actually make sense and at vividly describing action and characters. The song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," for example, paints a disgustingly colorful portrait of the special's antihero, comparing him to a "black banana with an oily peel" and saying that his "heart is full of unwashed socks." These sourly funny descriptions are even more effective when paired with images of the Grinch cheerfully stealing candy from sleeping children and slithering under a Christmas tree to snatch its ornaments.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is narrated by Boris Karloff, who also voices the Grinch. This casting is inspired. Karloff has a spooky, expressive voice. His stints as some of filmdom's greatest monsters, including The Mummy and Frankenstein, lend the special a creepy charm. The combination of Karloff's vocal work and the other elements also help to ensure that the cartoon does not devolve into sappy sentiment. Of course it has a happy ending, but the Grinch earns it.
The DVD menus are fairly primitive when compared to other releases, but are nevertheless functional. Viewers can watch the entire special or jump to a specific chapter or song.
