I was lucky enough to take my 11 year old niece to a preview of The Grinch and we both loved it!
An animation from the same people who brought us the Despicable Me series, The Grinch is based on the Dr Seuss book “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!”
Benedict Cumberbatch is the voice of The Grinch but fans won’t necessarily recognise the voice with an American accent. I think he strikes the right tone for kids, a bit menacing but nothing that’s actually scary.
The Grinch sets about ruining Christmas in Whoville by stealing gifts and Christmas decorations. We get a little of his back-story that speaks to why he’s so damn grinchy and it’s a bit grim but there’s a good message in the film for kids about why presents aren’t what it’s all about. If you reckon your kids are a bit caught up in all the commercial crap, this might be a nice one to take them along to.
I thought my 11 year old niece was probably at the upper end of the age group this is suited to and when I asked her about it, she thought it was suited to kids aged 5-13. Speaking of her, here’s what she said:
“It was very fun and had lots of funny bits. I think it was a heartwarming movie. My favourite bit was seeing everyone together having fun.”
The Grinch has had mixed reviews (eg this two star review in The Guardian and this glowing one on ABC News Breakfast) but I think this is a classic good time film for primary school kids. Enjoy!
Trailer here. It opens on 29 November.