Illumination Entertainment is something of a critical punching bag now, but that wasn't always the case. When the studio (a division of Universal) released Despicable Me in 2010, the film received rave reviews and earned a strong fanbase with kids and adults alike. But the Pixar-like promise of Illumination quickly fizzled out with their subsequent features, which were all very clearly geared at the youngest of kids. Despicable Me 2 and The Secret Life of Pets were passable and pleasant, but good luck finding any redeeming qualities in Minions or their take on The Lorax. So as much as I love a good Christmas movie, I'm weary of this particular studio taking on How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This is a classic story, but it has yet to be done right on the big screen- my apologies to anyone who likes the Jim Carrey version. With Benedict Cumberbatch as the lead character, Universal and Illumination revealed a new trailer for The Grinch this morning. Watch it below!
Look, I can't fault anyone at Universal or Illumination for making this movie. People love the Grinch, and as a result, this thing will make like a billion dollars. I really do enjoy Illumination's creative and colorful animation style, and if I'm being honest, it'll probably be hard for me to resist the Christmas charms of The Grinch come November. I just can't help but react to this trailer with a prolonged, indifferent sigh, because it just looks like more of the same. Screaming goats, whipped cream up the nose, the Grinch getting hit with things- this is very familiar territory for a kids movie. Benedict Cumberbatch is a somewhat inspired pick to voice the notorious curmudgeon, and much of my excitement will depend on who rounds out the voice cast (the movie is still filming). The animation does look rather dazzling, and the use of a young Grinch is a smart (and shamelessly manipulative) move. It all just looks too easy and simple, a film suffering from a bad case of cookie cutter familiarity.
This is basically a second teaser, and there's very little new footage from the film. So it's obviously a little too early to tell how The Grinch will play out. But if the goal was to get audiences excited, this isn't doing the trick for me.
The Grinch will open on November 9.
Image courtesy of Universal
Look, I can't fault anyone at Universal or Illumination for making this movie. People love the Grinch, and as a result, this thing will make like a billion dollars. I really do enjoy Illumination's creative and colorful animation style, and if I'm being honest, it'll probably be hard for me to resist the Christmas charms of The Grinch come November. I just can't help but react to this trailer with a prolonged, indifferent sigh, because it just looks like more of the same. Screaming goats, whipped cream up the nose, the Grinch getting hit with things- this is very familiar territory for a kids movie. Benedict Cumberbatch is a somewhat inspired pick to voice the notorious curmudgeon, and much of my excitement will depend on who rounds out the voice cast (the movie is still filming). The animation does look rather dazzling, and the use of a young Grinch is a smart (and shamelessly manipulative) move. It all just looks too easy and simple, a film suffering from a bad case of cookie cutter familiarity.
This is basically a second teaser, and there's very little new footage from the film. So it's obviously a little too early to tell how The Grinch will play out. But if the goal was to get audiences excited, this isn't doing the trick for me.
The Grinch will open on November 9.
Image courtesy of Universal
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