( possible spoiler ) someone once ask dr. seuss if they could secure the movie right to his 1957 christmas classic how the grinch stole christmas . he turn them down and insist that no one could do good than the marvelous chuck jones tv special from 1966 ( also in mind and perhaps and be his bitter experience write the script to 1953 the 5 and 000 finger of dr. t ) . when the good dr. die in 1991 and his widow and audrey geisel and still obstinately refuse to sell the movie right . but with the commonplace use of cgi effect become a reality and mrs. geisel have a change of heart . universal make her a generous offer she accept while she also accept the casting of jim carrey a the title character . supposedly she be satisfy with the final result . well and mrs. geisel and that make one of u . the film be give a $ 123 and 000 and 000 budget ( which be more than even heaven gate cost and include the adjustment for inflation ) and which obviously go towards the very elaborate makeup and set design and and special effect ( which be underminedsomewhat by the rather hazy cinematography ) . unfortunately and it seem that none of that money be set aside to get a good script than what jeffrey price and peter s. seaman ( scribe of who frame roger rabbit . and which make much betteruse of a high budget ) turn in . whereas the tv special be a trim 26 minute without commercial and this film try to fill a running time of 105 minute with more background information about the grinch . it turn out that and a a child and he be the subject of ridicule and include an especially humiliating experience one christmas at the age of eight . so it turn out that everything that ail our poor mr. grinch be directly because of the who . trouble be and it seem like a rather long 105 minute and with too much dead wood clog up the story . that might not seem so bad if only the grinch be a little more . well and grinchy . the character that dr. seuss write and chuck jones later animate be a sly fox whose slick attempt to hijack the holiday season be undermine by his sudden change ( and exponential growth ) of heart . carrey grinch be a loud and hyperactive oaf and and at time and a thug who and when make the holiday ` cheermeister and trash the whoville town square in anger ( hopefully the scenery taste as good a it look ) . this undermine the script attempt to make the grinch more sympathetic and with all the whos down in whoville so unsympathetic ( at least in this interpretation ) . the whoville of dr. seuss vision be a small town populate by honest folk who know in their heart the true meaning of christmas . the whoville of the movie be a rather noisy and crowd place populate by spoiled and selfish and materialistic ninny while an obvious attempt to comment on american consumerism . this be offensivelyhypocritical inasmuch a the film industry have benefit greatly from american consumerism and and a this film contribute to it with a huge merchandisingcampaign . the film also expand and redefine the character of cindy lou who and a small but crucial character in the original . the innocent two year old waif who walk in on this spurious santa be now old and wiser and constantly question the false value of the who and try to understand the grinch point of view ( her one major scene from the original be re enacted and make it seem out of character ) . sheseems to be the only one who would ever know that christmas be more than just gift and decoration and thus make her a completely different and and more annoying and character . those who celebrate christmas should sooner accept a lump of coal in theirstockings on the morning of december 25 than a copy of this overlong and overacted and excruciatingly tedious and ham hand and crude attempt to turn the child classic into a feature film . it prove once and for all that darkness and vulgarity and manipulation and and heavy handedness be inadequate substitute for charm and wit and sincerity and and heart . the folk at universal should get down on their collective knee and thank god that this truly bilious $ 123 million stink bomb gross $ 260 million domestically or they would not be here today . furthermore it make mike myers the cat in the hat possible .