I have always been a fan of Christmas specials, especially animated ones. This past weekend, my parents, Dan, and I found the new version of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch on Netflix, and I was immediately excited to watch it. My parents read me Dr. Seuss books frequently as a kid, and even now, we usually read How The Grinch Stole Christmas together on Christmas Eve. This movie, in all of its variations is a staple in my house during the holidays. But why should I be the one having all the fun? I thought in the giving spirit of the season that I would share my thoughts while watching with you all.

I highly recommend that you watch along with me as I share all of my thoughts on this family-friendly cartoon. I hope you enjoy (both this post and the movie!)…

1. Oooh, it says starring Benedict Cumberbatch, I guess he must play the Grinch?
2. I’m enjoying the beginning rhymes that they created to supplement the story. Did he just rhyme “ruse” with “Whos”? The writing nerd in me is loving this.
3. “Three weeks through December, this place hits its stride.” YES! Give me all of the idioms! I want them now!
4. I wonder how many alarm clocks that the Grinch goes through if he keeps destroying them.
5. Wait, who’s singing this song? And why does it suddenly feel like I’m watching Despicable Me? Pharell Williams is apparently the narrator…so does that mean I technically am watching Despicable Me? Bring on the minions!
6. The Grinch sure does have some bomb technology. I guess that’s what happens when you never leave your house. As if I needed another reason…
7. And if he has all of this technology, why can’t he make an alarm clock where he can change the radio station that plays to one that’s not playing Christmas music? And why does he have an alarm set anyway? What does he really have to do?
8. That comb in the shape of his body is *chef’s kiss* perfection. And why does he even put on pants if they look exactly like his legs anyway. So far, the least believable part of this movie is that pants are so comfortable that someone would wear them even if they looked just like their legs. They should really make this more believable.
9. Nevermind, they brought it back with the emotional eating. #relatable
10. And Max’s face is priceless. Like that friend that tells you the harsh truths you need to hear. And fetches your slippers. And makes lattes. Best dog ever.
11. Wait, no, Benedict Cumberbatch can’t be playing the Grinch, that’s Bill Hader. He sounds so similar to Flint Lockwood on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
12. After some careful IMDb-ing, I stand corrected. Fun fact: Benedict Cumberbatch speaking with an American accent sounds like Bill Hader. Got it. Glad that we established this early on.
13. Me seeing the mom (Donna) for the first time:

    

14. “You’re a mean one, mister.” Haha I get it.
15. Wait, do carolers just follow people around in this town? And sing faster as they move faster? And…flash mob with perfectly timed choreography and sing in a 4-part harmony…? Oh, that was the Pentatonix! That’s cool.
16. The Grinch doesn’t like…pickles? And so far, I thought I was going to agree with him on most things. Although spitting the pickle back in the jar and putting it in someone else’s basket is a pretty boss move.
17. As someone short, putting something back on the shelf that’s just beyond my reach is rude.
18. …as is knocking it off the shelf entirely. Did make me cackle, though.
19. “I’m not complaining, I’m venting. There’s a difference.” Big mood.
20. Anyone else getting a Sing vibe from this kitchen? With the mom that does all of the things and has a well-timed system? All she’s missing is approximately 20 more kids…er, pigs.
21. Awww Cindy Lou Who is so helpful! And has an insanely cool way to go down her driveway. But also super dangerous. Does her mom know that she does this? I wonder if Universal will make a ride out of this and if said ride would make me nauseous. I’m guessing yes.
22. I’m guessing that letter has something to do with her mom who clearly has way too much going on and not nearly enough help.
23. It’s weird how Cindy Lou Who originally had essentially no part in the original story. She was just a small girl who got up for some water and caught the Grinch in the act. But in the movies, they’ve made her part much larger and rounded her out as a character. I dig it.
24. Is it just me, or is December 20th really late to be sending a letter to Santa? It’s possible that Whoville is super close to the North Pole, but even then, standard post takes a while. You’re telling me that the Whos have all of this awesome technology, like machines that literally make snowballs, but no email?
25. And do you think he paid for those groceries? With what?
26. Is this Kenan Thompson? Or another British actor that sounds like Kenan Thompson?
27. Confirmed: it’s Kenan Thompson.
28. So far I’m agreeing with the Grinch on the Kenan Thompson Who. Don’t comment on my hair dye, creeper. I don’t care that you dye your hair too. WE. ARE. NOT. BONDING. OVER. THIS.
29. Max continues to make himself the best pet of all time. I swear watching this is making me want to rhyme.
30. You have to admire Cindy Lou’s dedication. Also her mother’s “do whatever you want, you crazy kid” attitude.
31. Wait, why does the Grinch have such a huge table if he hates people and never has anyone over?
32. Max’s fantasy world involves cruising with the top down listening to “Mambo No. 5” with the Grinch sticking his head out the window. I will never be as cool as this dog.
33. Did the Grinch build that organ himself? I wonder if he sells that and his inventions and that’s how he makes money?
34. This is the first time I think I’ve seen him treat Max similar to how the Grinch from the original movie treated Max. So far the way that he treats his dog is a total improvement from the original.
35. I feel like the original version doesn’t really show you what sparks the Grinch to finally snap. I love how in this one, we see him start plotting because of the annoying Kenan Thompson Who. I think I would want to take down his Christmas tree too.
36. Wait, why would anyone buy snowballs when there’s a machine that makes them in bulk?
37. Did she just open the door of the carousel? Where are the adults?! Who is in charge of this carnival anyway?!
38. Yup, it was about the mom. Called it!
39. The Grinch has all of this amazing technology and he created…a catapult to take down their tree?
40. Yeah, sure, your ornament is flying, Kenan Thomson Who. *eyeroll*
41. Oh and here must be the Grinch’s background story! Sort of…? Is it just me or is “he was in an orphanage” not really a backstory.
42. “I must stop this Christmas from coming! But how…? …I mean, in what way?” Whoops, wrong movie. But seriously, I can’t be the only one hearing Jim Carrey say that.
43. Nothing like a pre-plotting dance fitness party.
44. Oh I get it, it’s anticlimactic because the board only has “Santa Claus” written on it…in Comic Sans or something.
45. Damn, do all of the kids have cool ways of getting around? And then they leave the math book behind. Oh well, it clearly served its purpose.
46. I love this kid who has done almost nothing but eat every time we’ve seen him. Now I want waffles.
47. Like the Grinch, Cindy Lou’s paper only has “Santa Claus” written on it. Gotta love parallelism.
48. “The Legend of Santa Claus…always in a jolly mood…that’s not gonna happen. Oh well.” Me every day of my life.
49. I love the reindeer-herding getup.
50. LOL the screaming goat sounds just like the small desk-sized screaming goat I got for Josh (ex/bestie/blog editor/podcast co-host) for Christmas. He is now my favorite character.
51. “Go eat a can!” Rude.
52. Goat sighting #2.
53. So here we find out that Cindy Lou is part of some sort of kiddie gang and they’re all amped up to trap Santa and take his toys. This sure took a weird turn.
54. Ah okay, so she’s going to get them back on track by reminding them what she’s done for them…like giving them money from her mom’s bag. And what did Ozzy get stuck in?!
55. And just when I thought the Kenan Thompson Who couldn’t get any more annoying, now he thinks his dog can ring the doorbell and serve dessert. Fool.
56. Max taught Fred the reindeer puppy eyes? He is DIABOLICAL. AWWWWW but they’re so happy to be sleeping together!!!!
57. And as always, the dog ends up with the pillow and blanket. Classic.
58. I must say, I’ve never seen how much research the Grinch had to do before stealing Christmas. I have a whole new appreciation for it.
59. And Fred is doing whip-its. NICE.
60. Seriously. I know that the Grinch doesn’t like to be near people, but he has so many talents. He could be a city planner, or an inventor, or a model-set builder.
61. Why does he say that they need to resist the cookies in the houses? If he’s pretending to be Santa, shouldn’t he eat the cookies?
62. Wow, the kid who constantly is eating is picking a lot of holes in their catch-Santa plot, and not picking up the cookie…seems out of character to me. I’m almost waiting for him to ask “But what’s my motivation?!”
63. Ahhhh now that the plan has gone awry, he wants to eat the cookie. Classic ginger-kid-whose-name-escapes-me-that’s-always-eating.
64. Oh no, Fred has a family. But the Grinch is going to let him go be with them. I am struggling to believe that his heart was two sizes two small. Like maybe it was a half a size too small or something, but he’s really sweet.
65. I feel like I need to point out that this soundtrack is banging. They’ve picked the perfect songs that are both well-known and fitting for the scene and I just love it.
66. I knew Max had to be the reindeer. You can mess with a lot of the story, but you just can’t get rid of that part.
67. Like others before, this movie does not disappoint when it comes to neat gadgets that the Grinch creates and uses to steal Christmas.
68. They had to expand the list of rhyming toys he stole from the children to include “video games” because, you know, Dr. Seuss wouldn’t have had any clue what those were.
69. Okay, so the trap that Cindy Lou Who invented was pretty ingenious. Adding the stuffed animal with bells on her bed was just brilliant. I hope that at the end, her and the Grinch go into business inventing random stuff. Like the end of Willy Wonka.
70. It does seem far more likely that a Cindy Lou Who who wanted for her mom to be happy would have a greater impact on the Grinch than a girl who just got up for some water in the middle of the night.
71. Oh man, they wake up, see that everything is gone, and Cindy Lou Who blames herself?! The self-awareness of this kid is unbelievable.
72. I love that the mom calls her daughter the greatest gift she could have gotten. It’s like “your brothers are just a huge pain who chew on each other’s heads, but you’re pretty cool.”
73. I do miss the original words that our good friend Ted Geisel originally wrote for the scene where the Grinch’s heart grew, not gonna lie.
74. Our reindeer friends have returned, just in time to save the Grinch and the gifts from falling! And this, my friends, is what happens when you’re kind to animals — they keep you from falling off the side of a cliff so that you can take all of the presents and decorations you’ve stolen back to the Whos.
75. THIS. THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART. I am absolutely in love with the fact that after he returns all of the presents, the Grinch takes time to withdraw and process all that has happened alone. I love that instead of immediately joining the Whos, he retreats to cope with all of this new information and these new emotions. That’s real growth, right there!
76. And he bought Max a present! Now my heart is growing three sizes!
77. So the way that the Grinch dresses up is to wear a candy cane tie…and nothing else…or maybe pants…? It’s hard to tell.
78. I still don’t like Kenan Thompson Who. He seems like the neighbor who doesn’t recognize how annoying, invasive, and disgustingly overly-cheerful he is. We have fences for a reason, people!
79. The ending of this movie is much more fulfilling than others that I’ve seen. Instead of seeing the Grinch through a window, in this version, we follow him inside and see how he interacts with everyone and makes peace with the Whos.
80. And he, himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast.
81. Goat sighting #3.

Overall, I love this new spin on the classic story. It was fun, funny, and the animation was pretty and bright. I will definitely be adding this to the Christmas movie rotation moving forward. I would love to hear which version is your favorite in the comments!