Benedict Cumberbatchas The GrinchThe story
About The Grinch
A solitary grump living above a valley town decides he has had enough of his neighbours' relentless festive cheer and sets out to steal Christmas from them wholesale. Illumination's version gives him an orphaned, left-out childhood as the root of the grievance, and a small girl with a plan of her own gradually undoes it. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the title role.
The CineClaus verdict
The gentlest of the screen versions and the one most interested in why he is like that.
Illumination supplies a lonely childhood, a great deal of expensive snow, and a Cumberbatch performance pitched at tired rather than wicked. Handsome, slight, and about twenty minutes of story stretched to ninety.
Small children love it without reservation, which is the only audience test that really counts here.
The family desk
Can the kids watch?
Our take: fine for all ages. Note that the UK cinema version was trimmed slightly to hold its U and an uncut PG version also exists, so check which you have.
BBFC advice: Mild slapstick, very mild bad language.
Content advice & accessibility
- Where the advice comes from
- The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
- Our age guidance
- Editorial, separate from the official U certificate, and never looser than it.
