--- title: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas" critics_score: 46 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000): what the critics said Critics' score 46 from 13 reviews: 5 positive, 0 mixed, 8 negative. The reviews lean negative, and there is no middle ground: every critic either likes the film or dislikes it. Where they meet is on Jim Carrey. Admirers call his Grinch a triumph, the one thing that keeps the film from turning preachy, and most of the detractors concede he works hard even as they judge the effort wasted. The kinder reviews also credit Ron Howard with ingenuity and sardonic wit, and find the Whoville design splendid. The majority find it shrill, overstuffed and charmless, a loud contraption of effects and merchandise that buries the book’s simple moral, and several think it too sour and frightening for small children. The one dissent among the dissenters is Eye for Film, which faults Carrey’s exaggerated performance alongside everything else. The warmest notices tend to come later, from critics who read the black humour as an indictment of Christmas and count it a virtue. ## Empire — Adam Smith Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds the film avoids typical Christmas sentimentality thanks to Ron Howard's direction and especially Jim Carrey's masterful performance as the Grinch, which blends pathos and malice effectively. The one standout is Carrey's energetic, witty portrayal that saves the movie from being preachy. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/grinch-review/) ## Radio Times — Sloan Freer Rating 4/5. Dr Seuss's favourite gets big-budget Hollywood treatment from Ron Howard with an irrepressible Jim Carrey as the Grinch in a magical, visually splendid seasonal spectacular. It is a vivacious delight and heart-warmer that deserves to become a genre classic, though parents should note the dark humour and excesses may be too much for the very young. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-43qomp/dr-seuss-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas/) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2015. The Hollywood version captures the endearing Seussian spirit of imaginative doodling, especially with Carrey's anti-hero on screen. Howard develops the story with ingenuity and sardonic wit, and Carrey's performance is a triumph. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dr-seuss-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2000. The critic finds it an overstuffed but lively and amiable film whose spirit ultimately converts the inner curmudgeon, crediting Ron Howard's direction, the visual design and especially Jim Carrey's energetic performance as the Grinch. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/story/2022-12-06/from-the-archive-grinch-review-2000) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2000. The critic finds the film a dank, eerie and weird movie about a sour creature, with too much focus on meanness, unattractive production design and not enough sympathy or fun. Jim Carrey works hard but the effort is to small avail and the balance is off. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dr-seuss-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-2000) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2000. The critic finds Ron Howard’s adaptation sentimental and unimpressive, turning Dr Seuss’s absurdist tale into Hollywood slush with formulaic additions, though Jim Carrey’s performance in the title role provides some compensation. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/dec/01/grinchs-heart-three-sizes-too-small) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2023. The critic finds the film charmless and tonally inconsistent, failing to capture the whimsical fantasy of the source material despite Carrey's performance. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/grinch-review-jim-carrey-movie-2000-1235654993/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2000. The critic calls it a shrill, strenuous production without charm that turns a simple tale sour, too scary and negative for families, with disagreeable characters and a lack of style or point of view despite Carrey's efforts. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/dr-seuss-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-1200465392/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic describes the film as a noisy, mechanical fantasy lacking magic or true sentiment, feeling like a video game arcade experience for children, despite its message about Christmas. The complaint is its lack of genuine emotion and over-reliance on spectacle and merchandise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-grinch-7433413.html) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2000. The critic calls the film a shrill, overstuffed and spiritless contraption clogged with gadgetry, effects and cynicism that buries the original moral. Jim Carrey's antics and the Whoville portrayal come off as mean-spirited and corrupting. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/17/movies/film-review-and-he-clucked-what-a-faaabulous-trick.html) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2000. The review calls it a cynical, charmless travesty that desecrates the beloved book with ugly visuals, over-the-top performances, and commercial excess. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-1798192533) ## HeyUGuys — Steven Neish Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2011. The critic praises the film as a triumph in seasonal comedy, highlighting the inspired script as a masterclass in black humour and Carrey's revelatory performance. They note it is as much an indictment of Christmas as a celebration, calling it essential viewing. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/christmas-video-vault-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-2000/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2001. The critic finds the film disturbing and violent rather than funny, criticizing Carrey's exaggerated performance and the false sentiment, arguing it awakens primitive fears instead of delivering wholesome entertainment. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-grinch-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas.md