Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Movie Review | Common Sense Media

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Parents' Guide to

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Movie PG 2018 90 minutes Dr. Seuss' The Grinch movie: Max the dog next to a frowning Grinch on a green background
  • Common Sense Says
  • Parents Say 89 Reviews
  • Kids Say 50 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Sandie Angulo Chen By Sandie Angulo Chen , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Pratfall-heavy take on holiday tale is fun, mostly gentle.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Dr. Seuss' The Grinch is an animated adaptation of the classic holiday story, featuring the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as the legendary Christmas curmudgeon. The movie is appropriate…

 Why Age 6+? Violence & Scariness

Lots of pratfalls and physical comedy; characters are frequently catapulted thro

 Sex, Romance & Nudity

Nonsexual shot of an undressed Who (a cookie covers his lower half). The Grinch

Language

Language includes "oh, sugar plum," "dumb," and "stupid."

 Products & Purchases

Nothing on-screen, but there are lots of offscreen Grinch tie-ins, from apparel

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking Not present Any Positive Content? Positive Messages

Kindness, compassion, and love are the true spirit of Christmas. Encourages ever

 Positive Role Models

Cindy-Lou is kind and generous. She loves her mom, Donna, and wants Donna's life

 Diverse Representations

The people of Whoville are mostly White, but one friendly Black resident (voiced

 Educational Value

Encourages kids to delve into Dr. Seuss' story, to look past the commercializati

  • Parents Need to Know

    Parents need to know that Dr. Seuss' The Grinch is an animated adaptation of the classic holiday story, featuring the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as the legendary Christmas curmudgeon. The movie is appropriate for most younger viewers, with many more scenes of physical comedy and pratfalls than genuine peril (though there is a scene in which it looks like the Grinch will fall over a mountain—but of course he's saved). Expect lots of falls from heights, catapulting through the air, speeding on sleds, etc. The Grinch ends up in his underwear in a brief scene, and a naked Who is seen behind a cookie that's strategically placed to cover anything inappropriate. Like Seuss' original, this is a story about kindness, compassion, love, and generosity being the true meaning of Christmas.

    To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

  • Violence & Scariness

    some

    Lots of pratfalls and physical comedy; characters are frequently catapulted through the air, go speeding on sleds, etc. The Grinch throws stuff at his alarm clock and destroys/decapitates a snow man. He also causes mild destruction in Whoville. Cindy-Lou traps "Santa" (really the Grinch). The Grinch eventually gets hurt (and is in peril at the top of a mountain), characters fall, an animal has to help, and part of a mountain breaks off.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Sex, Romance & Nudity

    very little

    Nonsexual shot of an undressed Who (a cookie covers his lower half). The Grinch is shown in his underwear.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Language

    very little

    Language includes "oh, sugar plum," "dumb," and "stupid."

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Products & Purchases

    very little

    Nothing on-screen, but there are lots of offscreen Grinch tie-ins, from apparel to toys and books.

  • Positive Messages

    a lot

    Kindness, compassion, and love are the true spirit of Christmas. Encourages everyone to be selfless and see the good in friendship and community. There's also a message about rejecting the commercialization of Christmas and celebrating love, family, and friendship instead. Shows how one person, one moment of kindness, can change even the hardest heart.

  • Positive Role Models

    a lot

    Cindy-Lou is kind and generous. She loves her mom, Donna, and wants Donna's life to be easier. Meanwhile, Donna wants to make Christmas special for her kids. Cindy-Lou's friends all team up with her to "catch" Santa so he can help. The Grinch starts out isolated and resentful but has a (literal) change of heart during the course of the story.

  • Diverse Representations

    a little

    The people of Whoville are mostly White, but one friendly Black resident (voiced by Black actor Kenan Thompson) tries to befriend the Grinch. Main characters Cindy-Lou and her hard-working single mother, Donna, have a compelling and heartwarming relationship. Behind the camera, biracial Black and Jewish actress Rashida Jones voices Donna (who's White on screen with blond hair, blue eyes). Narrator Pharrell Williams also scores much of the soundtrack. All four writers and directors are White men.

    Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update .

  • Educational Value

    very little

    Encourages kids to delve into Dr. Seuss' story, to look past the commercialization of the holidays, and to value friendship and community.

Where to Watch

  • Dr. Seuss' The GrinchMovie Review 1:07
  • Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Trailer Dr. Seuss' The Grinch
  • Dr. Seuss' The Grinch movie: The Grinch holds up a cookie decorated like Santa Claus
  • Dr. Seuss' The Grinch movie: A shocked-looking Grinch holding Max
  • Dr. Seuss' The Grinch movie: The Grinch plays an organ while angrily pointing to Max

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
  • Parents Say (89)
  • Kids Say (50)
age 5+

Based on 89 parent reviews

Parents say that this 1986 adaptation offers a fun and heartwarming holiday experience suitable for children, with many appreciating its humor and lack of scary elements. Although some reviews express disappointment over differences from the original storyline and character designs, most find it engaging and recommend it as a family favorite.

  • family-friendly
  • humorous
  • not scary
  • engaging characters
  • heartwarming
  • suitable for all ages
Summarized with AI
See all 89 parent reviews age 5+

Based on 50 kid reviews

Kids say this animated adaptation of a beloved classic is both cute and heartfelt, delivering positive messages about love and redemption while featuring engaging characters. While some reviews note it lacks the depth of earlier versions and contains mild humor and violence, it remains a family-friendly film that appeals particularly to younger audiences.

  • cute characters
  • positive messages
  • family-friendly
  • mild humor
  • engaging plot
Summarized with AI
See all 50 kid reviews

What's the Story?

Narrated by Pharrell Williams, DR. SEUSS' THE GRINCH elaborates on Dr. Seuss' classic book about the Christmas-hating Grinch (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), who lives above the merry town of Whoville. Down below, the mayor of Whoville (Angela Lansbury) has deemed that Christmas is going to be three times as big as in previous years. So the Grinch decides he's going to ruin everyone's holiday by pretending to be Santa and stealing the entire town's presents and decorations. But adorable little Cindy-Lou Who (Cameron Seely), whose mother, Donna-Lou Who (Rashida Jones), is a hard-working single mom, has a plan of her own: Trap Santa and ask him for a very special gift.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (89 ): Kids say (50 ):

This adaptation is bright, colorful, and occasionally funny, but it doesn't come close to matching the effectiveness of the short-and-sweet original movie from 1966. While Cumberbatch's voice isn't as resonantly deep as Boris Karloff's, his Grinch is believably grumpy, angry, and resentful of Whoville's need for a ginormous Christmas celebration. The Grinch's lovably loyal dog, Max, makes the green meanie a bit more sympathetic, as does the sad backstory that explains his motivations for hating the holiday.

But this isn't only the Grinch's story. It's also Cindy-Lou's, as she tries to convince Santa to grant her selfless wish. To accomplish her goal, there's a subplot involving a group of her friends, a kid-led caper that should appeal to younger audiences. Jones is well cast as a loving mom, and Kenan Thompson adds comic relief as a Whoville resident who misguidedly believes that the Grinch is his pal. For its enduring messages about kindness and love, it's hard to find fault in The Grinch, but it's unlikely to surpass Chuck Jones' famous animated special on the "holiday classics" list.

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Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Dr. Seuss' The Grinch differs from both the beloved made-for-TV classic and the live-action version. Which do you like best? Which seems truest to the original Dr. Seuss book?

  • Are there any role models in the movie? If so, who? What character strengths do they display?

  • What is the movie's message about the holidays? Do characters show compassion? How does the Grinch learn those lessons?

  • What are some of your family's holiday traditions? What do you love about them?

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Movie Details

  • In theaters : November 9, 2018
  • On DVD or streaming : February 5, 2019
  • Cast : Benedict Cumberbatch , Rashida Jones , Angela Lansbury
  • Directors : Yarrow Cheney , Scott Mosier
  • Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Universal Pictures
  • Genre : Family and Kids
  • Topics : Holidays ( Christmas )
  • Character Strengths : Compassion
  • Run time : 90 minutes
  • MPAA rating : PG
  • MPAA explanation : brief rude humor
  • Award : Kids' Choice Award
  • Last updated : December 24, 2025
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Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch

Suggest an Update

Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. See our privacy policy . Dr. Seuss' The Grinch movie: Max the dog next to a frowning Grinch on a green background

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