“Holiday Who-by What-y” (DOUBLE FEATURE): “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) / “The Polar Express” (2004)

(Courtesy Rotten Tomatoes) 

(Courtesy Flashback Cinema) 

This year marks more than two decades since a couple of particular Christmas movies have been part of our holiday lexicon. Both Ron Howard’s live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas (which turned 25 last month) and Robert Zemeckis’s motion capture The Polar Express were recently screened at Marcus Theatres and other chains across the nation. I attended a screening of each film last weekend, and this marks the first time I’ve seen both of them on the big screen since their initial releases in 2000 and 2004, respectively. So the experience, for me, was nostalgic. 

Oddly enough, both critically-divisive but crowd-pleasing blockbusters are based on popular and acclaimed children’s books from the mid-to-late-20th Century. The former is a live-action fantasy, adapted from Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel’s 1957 book about the titular curmudgeon who plots to steal the holidays from the citizens of Who-ville on the night before Christmas. The latter is a motion capture adventure, based on Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 story about a boy who joins other children on a magical train ride, one Christmas Eve, to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus. Furthermore, each film was headlined by a famous actor known for box-office appeal. In one corner was Jim Carrey, unrecognizable under layers of impressive makeup effects (courtesy the legendary Rick Baker) as the titular Grinch. In the other corner, there was Tom Hanks in multiple CGI-ed roles, from a train conductor to a stowaway hobo and Kris Kringle himself. 

Howard’s film is also noteworthy for its large scale sets and reportedly 600 visual effects shots. Dr. Seuss’s worlds of Who-ville and the Grinch’s cave feel like places you could literally walk into, much like anything that, say, Jim Henson or Tim Burton would have done. Zemeckis’s flick is essentially one long effects piece, using technology that was groundbreaking for its time. (James Cameron continues to push the same boundaries with his game-changing and record-breaking Avatar series.) As with The Grinch, Polar has many wondrous shots and sights to see, not to mention some creative filmmaking that couldn’t be done in live-action. (Zemeckis would experiment with motion capture for the remainder of the decade, with adaptions of other classic literature, including the Old English poem Beowulf [2007] and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol [2009], the latter of which starred, ironically enough, Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge.) 

Still, both The Grinch and Polar have generated divisive reactions (and continue to), with some calling said adaptations creepy and/or uncanny. Akiva Shaeffer’s fairly recent meta comedy Chip’n’Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) accurately described the uncanny valley as, “It looks real, but it doesn’t look right.” To be fair, The Polar Express is meant to emulate the original illustrations in Van Allsburg’s book. Therefore, while the motion capture performances do evoke a sense of realism, what we are watching is essentially a fantasy, not reality. Both movies also have their share of intense, scary elements, as well as edge. Not to mention a genuine sense of menace. They can also be loud at times. (When comparing the two, I find Polar to be a slightly scarier experience.) 

At the same time, both films are also heartwarming, with many tearjerking and magical moments throughout. “Where Are You, Christmas?” from The Grinch and the Northern Lights scene from Polar still make me cry like a baby. And the fact that people are still watching them after all these years shows that they have some staying power. Jim Carrey and Cindy Lou-Who actress Taylor Momsen recently reunited at a Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame event last month, igniting something of a re-appreciation for the 2000 take. 

Looking back at the last quarter century, it is, again, nostalgic and incredible to see practical effects and large-scale moviemaking in an age where digital effects apparently reign supreme. (No offense.) And thanks to filmmakers like Joseph Kosinski, Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, and Guillermo del Toro (to name a few), we’ve seen quite a turn back to such in our current era of blockbusters. Here’s to what’s on the horizon for both practical and visual. ‘Tis the seasons.