"a beautifully animated family film covering understanding and loneliness"

This year brings us a new animated version of the classic Dr Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The animation is bought to screen by Illumination Entertainment the company behind the Despicable Me series of films. The Grinch is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch and is narrated by Pharrell Williams.

The Grinch lives an almost solitary existence, apart from his dog Max on top of a mountain overlooking the town of Whoville. He's a bitter and grouchy character who doesn't like the residents of Whoville, but puts up with them when the occasion necessitates for him to go shopping there. His general level of unhappiness is further compounded by his loathing of the Christmas period.

This Christmas realising that he's completely out of food supplies, he reluctantly sets off to Whoville to get some more during the period of the year he intensely dislikes most. In Whoville he learns that the residents are going to make the Christmas festivities three times bigger than previous years.

Having learned that the town's residents are having a bigger celebration than previous years of a festival he detests, The Grinch sets about devising a dastardly plan to steal the presents of all the residents of Whoville on Christmas Eve ruining their happiness and seasonal joy, effectively stealing Christmas.

The Grinch is a beautifully animated family film covering understanding and loneliness, invoking just the right level of emotion and joy to be perfect family viewing in the run up to Christmas. Earning a jolly four stars.