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* FountainOfMemes: Between Creator/JimCarrey [[LargeHam doing what he does best]], his many iconic lines, and introverts finding his desire to be left alone and dislike for socializing relatable, the Grinch himself has produced more than his fair share of memes.
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* NightmareFuel: The amount of creepy-looking people in the film have unsettled many younger viewers over the years.
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* NightmareFuel: NightmareFuel:
** The amount of creepy-looking people in the film have unsettled many younger viewers over theyears.years.
** The Grinch’s rampage during the Whobilation could be considered this. While it’s largely played for laughs, the shot of the Grinch burning the tree is still pretty intense, and Cindy Lou’s OhCrap expression probably isn’t too far off from some kids’s reactions.
** The amount of creepy-looking people in the film have unsettled many younger viewers over the
** The Grinch’s rampage during the Whobilation could be considered this. While it’s largely played for laughs, the shot of the Grinch burning the tree is still pretty intense, and Cindy Lou’s OhCrap expression probably isn’t too far off from some kids’s reactions.
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** The way the Grinch's heart growing three sizes is depicted can be rather disturbing for the same reason that it's [[BlackComedy jarringly funny]]. It looks for all the world like the Grinch is suffering a spontaneous and very painful ''[[HollywoodHeartAttack heart attack]]!''
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** Agustus, played by Creator/JeffreyTambor, constantly hits on Martha, played by Creator/ChristineBaranski. While that's HarsherInHindsight knowing Tambor's real life behavior it is kind of funny to see the two go from would be lovers to enemies in ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}'' 16 years later (which funnily enough also had Creator/JustinTimberlake who, alongside NSYNC, provided a song for this movie).
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** Agustus, Augustus, played by Creator/JeffreyTambor, constantly hits on Martha, played by Creator/ChristineBaranski. While that's HarsherInHindsight knowing Tambor's real life behavior it is kind of funny to see the two go from would be lovers to enemies in ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}'' 16 years later (which funnily enough also had Creator/JustinTimberlake who, alongside NSYNC, provided a song for this movie).
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* CrazyIsCool: This version of Grinch is characterized as [[LargeHam very over the top individual]], constantly ChewingTheScenery, so it's natural that this trope could apply to him.
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* CrazyIsCool: This version of Grinch is characterized as [[LargeHam very over the top individual]], constantly ChewingTheScenery, so it's natural that this trope could apply to him.
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* MisaimedMarketing: While the film is against consumerism, there were a lot of merchandising tie-ins the year of its release, including video games, a board game, toys and otherwise.
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* MisaimedMarketing: MisaimedMerchandising: While the film is against consumerism, there were a lot of merchandising tie-ins the year of its release, including video games, a board game, toys and otherwise.
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If someone can expand on Crazy Is Cool character of Grinch, then please do so, since because I can't think of any examples that qualify Grinch to this trope.
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* CrazyIsCool: This version of Grinch is characterized as [[LargeHam very over the top individual]], constantly ChewingTheScenery, so it's natural that this trope could apply to him.
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Spelling/grammar fix(es)
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* FirstInstallmentWins: Compared to its SpiritualSuccessor ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', it at least tries to be suitable for all ages and doesn't lose focus on its plot. Even it's harshest critics will agree it was better than the adaptation that followed, if only for Jim Carrey's performance.
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* FirstInstallmentWins: Compared to its SpiritualSuccessor ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', it at least tries to be suitable for all ages and doesn't lose focus on its plot. Even it's its harshest critics will agree it was better than the adaptation that followed, if only for Jim Carrey's performance.
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* RomanticPlotTumor: Appropriate for a character who's first scene has her hanging up lights while wearing a provocative outfit, Martha is a textbook "sexy lamp" character who really only exists to give the Grinch and the Mayor something else to fight over. Her relationship to either man has absolutely no bearing on the plot and cutting her entirely wouldn't change it in the slightest.
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* RomanticPlotTumor: Appropriate for a character who's whose first scene has her hanging up lights while wearing a provocative outfit, Martha is a textbook "sexy lamp" character who really only exists to give the Grinch and the Mayor something else to fight over. Her relationship to either man has absolutely no bearing on the plot and cutting her entirely wouldn't change it in the slightest.
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* AdaptationDisplacement: In some countries where the book and the animated short aren't well-known [[NoExportForYou and/or were never published]], many viewers were introduced to the Grinch story by this movie and refer to it as "the original" when comparing it to [[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 the 2018 animated film]].
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* AdaptationDisplacement: In some countries where the book and the animated short special aren't well-known [[NoExportForYou and/or were never published]], many viewers were introduced to the Grinch story by this movie and refer to it as "the original" when comparing it to [[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 the 2018 animated film]].
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** Grinch eating rotten fruits, glass bottles and other kind of garbage.
** Grinch heating a hot nail by ''sticking'' it in his mouth.
** Grinch heating a hot nail by ''sticking'' it in his mouth.
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** Agustus, played by Creator/JeffreyTambor, constantly hits on Martha, played by Creator/ChristineBaranski. While that's HarsherInHindsight knowing Tambor's real life behavior it is kind of funny to see the two go from would be lovers to enemies in ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}'' 16 years later (which funnily enough also had Creator/JustinTimberlake who, alongside NSYNC, provided a song for this movie).
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Grinch's Moms. Though the movie outright never says they're a couple it strongly implies it and, while the movie is hardly the most progressive and daring portrayal of LGBTQ characters in family entertainment, the fact that they are portrayed as positive, loving, and friendly parents makes many appreciate how it's not only one of the few portrayals of queer characters in a kids movie at its time but also [[FairForItsDay one of the few ''positive'' portrayals]].
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Grinch's Moms. Though the movie outright never says they're a couple it strongly implies it and, while the movie is hardly the most progressive and daring portrayal of LGBTQ characters in family entertainment, the fact that they are portrayed as positive, loving, and friendly parents makes many appreciate how it's not only one of the few portrayals of queer characters in a kids movie at its time but also [[FairForItsDay one of the few ''positive'' positive portrayals]].
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Grinch's Moms. Though the movie outright never says they're a couple it strongly implies it and, while the movie is hardly the most progressive and daring portrayal of LGBTQ characters in family entertainment, the fact that they are portrayed as positive, loving, and friendly parents makes many appreciate how it's not only one of the few portrayals of queer characters in a kids movie at its time but also [[FairForItsDay one of the few ''positive'' portrayals]].
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Grinch's Moms. Though the movie outright never says they're a couple it strongly implies it and, while the movie is hardly the most progressive and daring portrayal of LGBT characters in family entertainment, the fact that they are portrayed as positive, loving friendly parents makes many appreciate how it's not only one of the few portrayals of LGBT characters in a kids movie at its time but also [[FairForItsDay one of the few ''positive'' portrayals]].
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Grinch's Moms. Though the movie outright never says they're a couple it strongly implies it and, while the movie is hardly the most progressive and daring portrayal of LGBT characters in family entertainment, the fact that they are portrayed as positive, loving friendly parents makes many appreciate how it's not only one of the few portrayals of LGBT characters in a kids movie at its time but also [[FairForItsDay one of the few ''positive'' portrayals]].
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Not YMMV.
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* PlotHole: In the film, the narrator says, "The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Despite this, a large part of the film is devoted to showing us why the Grinch hates Christmas.
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Dewicking Just For Pun
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* HamAndCheese: Creator/JimCarrey providing his trademark ham to the movie's cheese. While the critics provide the [[JustForPun whine]].
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%% * HamAndCheese: Creator/JimCarrey providing his trademark ham to the movie's cheese. While the critics provide the [[JustForPun whine]].cheese.
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** The Who's in general. Some liked that they were flawed and had to grow alongside The Grinch to learn Christmas isn't all about materialism while others felt making them materialistic missed the point of the story and also thought the Who's were too unlikeable [[RootingForTheEmpire to the point they were rooting for The Grinch]].
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** The Who's Whos in general. Some liked that they were flawed flawed, had differing personalities, and had to grow alongside The Grinch to learn Christmas isn't all about materialism while others felt making them materialistic missed the point of the story and also thought the Who's Whos were too unlikeable [[RootingForTheEmpire to the point they were rooting for The Grinch]].
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** The Who's in general. Some liked that they were flawed and had to grow alongside The Grinch to learn Christmas isn't all about materialism while others felt making them materialistic missed the point of the story and also thought the Who's were too unlikeable [[RootingForTheEmpire to the point they were rooting for The Grinch]].
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* BaseBreaker: The Grinch's backstory. Some thought the backstory made him a more sympathetic character while others either felt The Grinch didn't ''need'' a backstory, the backstory grinds the movie to a halt and barely relates to the plot, and/or the backstory was too cliche and uninteresting.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Martha May Whovier. As a new character introduced in this film, she's either an accepted addition as Grinch's LoveInterest (a lot of artwork has been made that shows them off together), or she's a completely pointless character that adds nothing of value to such a classic Christmas story.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Martha May Whovier. As a new character introduced in this film, she's either an accepted addition as Grinch's LoveInterest (a lot of artwork has been made that shows them off together), or she's a completely pointless character that adds nothing of value to such a classic Christmas story.
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* BaseBreaker: The Grinch's backstory. Some thought the backstory made him a more sympathetic character while others either felt The Grinch didn't ''need'' a backstory, the backstory grinds the movie to a halt and barely relates to the plot, and/or the backstory was too cliche and uninteresting.
* BaseBreakingCharacter:BaseBreakingCharacter:
** Martha May Whovier. As a new character introduced in this film, she's either an accepted addition as Grinch's LoveInterest (a lot of artwork has been made that shows them off together), or she's a completely pointless character that adds nothing of value to such a classic Christmas story.
* BaseBreakingCharacter:
** Martha May Whovier. As a new character introduced in this film, she's either an accepted addition as Grinch's LoveInterest (a lot of artwork has been made that shows them off together), or she's a completely pointless character that adds nothing of value to such a classic Christmas story.
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* BrokenBase: The Grinch's backstory. Some thought the backstory made him a more sympathetic character while others either felt The Grinch didn't ''need'' a backstory, the backstory grinds the movie to a halt and barely relates to the plot, and/or the backstory was too cliche and uninteresting.
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* BaseBreaker: The Grinch's backstory. Some thought the backstory made him a more sympathetic character while others either felt The Grinch didn't ''need'' a backstory, the backstory grinds the movie to a halt and barely relates to the plot, and/or the backstory was too cliche and uninteresting.
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** Cindy Lou Who. Some find her an adorable and sympathetic character while others find her preaching and cloying.
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** Adult Martha isn't much better. Her many, many provocative outfits and lustful attitude were already considered FetishRetardant when the film was first released (her first scene alone has her rapid-firing from a canon that causes her to jiggle around a lot while wearing a {{stripperiffic}} Santa-themed hoop skirt and bustier), but like the above, having such blatant female objectification and explicit sexuality in a family movie would greatly upset people concerned with the effect of both on children.
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* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: While the Grinch is still the antagonist of the story, he is considered to be much nicer than Mayor Augustus. He bullied the Grinch when they were kids, [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp and even years later, he still sees the Grinch as an outcast]]. When the Grinch was invited to partake in the Cheermeister Celebration, he was genuinely having a good time. He could have turned over a new leaf right there and then if Augustus [[KickTheDog hadn't reminded him of the worst day of the Grinch's life]] and publicly proposed to Martha May just to pour salt in the wound.
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* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: While the Grinch is still the antagonist of the story, he is considered to be much nicer than Mayor Augustus. He bullied the Grinch when they were kids, [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp and even years later, he still sees the Grinch as an outcast]]. When the Grinch was invited to partake in the Cheermeister Celebration, he was genuinely having a good time. He could have turned over a new leaf right there and then if Augustus hadn't [[KickTheDog hadn't reminded him of the worst day of the Grinch's life]] and publicly proposed to Martha May just to pour salt in the wound.
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* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: While the Grinch is still the antagonist of the story, he is an absolute saint compared to Mayor Augustus. He bullied the Grinch when they were kids and [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp even years later he still sees the Grinch as an outcast.]] When the Grinch was invited to partake in the Cheermeister Celebration, he was genuinely having a good time. He could have turned over a new leaf right there and then, if Augustus didn't remind him of the worst day of the Grinch's life and publicly propose to Martha May just to pour salt in the wound.
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* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: While the Grinch is still the antagonist of the story, he is an absolute saint compared considered to be much nicer than Mayor Augustus. He bullied the Grinch when they were kids and kids, [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp and even years later later, he still sees the Grinch as an outcast.]] outcast]]. When the Grinch was invited to partake in the Cheermeister Celebration, he was genuinely having a good time. He could have turned over a new leaf right there and then, then if Augustus didn't remind [[KickTheDog hadn't reminded him of the worst day of the Grinch's life life]] and publicly propose proposed to Martha May just to pour salt in the wound.
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* AdaptationDisplacement: In some countries where the book and the animated short aren't well-known [[NoExportForYou and/or were never published]], many viewers were introduced to the Grinch story by this movie and refer to it as "the original" when comparing it to [[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 the 2018 animated film]].
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** The Grinch's backstory provides one: is he just naturally bad from birth, or did he become that way from how he was treated by many of the Whos?
** Due to her AdaptationalIntelligence, the scene where Santa Grinch tries to fool Cindy Lou Who takes on a different tone from the original. When she leaves with a pointed message telling "Santa" not to forget the Grinch, was it just her being kind, or was she ObfuscatingStupidity and trying to appeal to the Grinch's good side?
* AluminumChristmasTrees: A more unconventional instance than most, but still applicable nonetheless: a good number of viewers both then and now thought the Grinch's facial expressions in the film were mostly the result of the makeup Creator/JimCarrey wore, when in actuality he's fully capable of morphing his face to that heavy of a degree on command. One of Carrey's stand-up bits in the 90's involved him doing "facial impressions" of various celebrities, with his version of the Grinch's EvilGrin being a re-purposing of his Creator/JackNicholson impression; Carrey is [[https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/759/171/9d1.gif still fully capable]] of pulling off faces like that to this day and typically does it nowadays to amuse child fans and their parents.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic
** Although some would say it's more of a [[AwardBaitSong Award-Baiting]] GuiltyPleasure, "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?" and its full-length country-pop version "[[Music/FaithHill Where Are You Christmas?]]" is a touching song that has become somewhat of a modern Christmas staple.
** For the instrumental score, you can never, ever go wrong with Music/JamesHorner.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Martha May Whovier. As a new character introduced in this film, she's either an accepted addition as Grinch's LoveInterest (a lot of artwork has been made that shows them off together), or she's a completely pointless character that adds nothing of value to such a classic Christmas story.
* CantUnHearIt: For millennials and (to a ''much'' lesser extent) early Gen Zers, Creator/JimCarrey's voice is the Grinch in their minds.
* CatharsisFactor: After seeing the Grinch be ruthlessly tormented by the Whos, him [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge thrashing the entire festival]] -- including [[TheDogBitesBack his revenge on Maywho with the razor]] -- is nothing short of rewarding. His TheReasonYouSuckSpeech towards the Whos' selfishness and hypocrisy also deserves a mention.
* CriticalBacklash: From the half of the audience who likes it. It's not considered among the greatest Christmas films of all time, and the AdaptationExpansion and more negative approach to the Whos are controversial, but for fans it's not a bad film adaptation of the book and mostly maintains the spirit of it. And not to mention, it's ''far'' better than the following [[Film/TheCatInTheHat film]] based on a Creator/DrSeuss book. It helps that Creator/RonHoward [[WordOfGod defended the film]] as more variations on a theme than a straight adaptation.
* CriticProof: This was the #1 film in North America ''five'' weeks in a row upon release, and became the highest grossing film of 2000 domestically ($260 million) and remains the highest-grossing live-action Christmas movie since ''Film/HomeAlone1''. But critical response was ''sharply'' divided (52% on Rotten Tomatoes and 46/100 on Metacritic).
* CultClassic: Since the film's release and especially after ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'' and later the 2018 AnimatedAdaptation ''The Grinch'', there are those who think of this film as a live-action Christmas classic. Jim Carrey's performance and the effective makeup and messages are the particular strengths for them. Quoting this movie is a time-honored social media tradition for those who enjoyed it as children.
* {{Fanon}}:
** [[https://popculture.com/movies/news/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-theory-max-break-heart/ A popular fan theory posits]] that Max was a Christmas puppy someone threw away like all the other garbage the Grinch rants about in his ReasonYouSuckSpeech. This would explain his UndyingLoyalty, with even his ServileSnarker moments being interpreted as simply how friends who knew other for a long time treat each other.
** Grinch's "Loathe entirely!" when reading the book of Whos alphabetically is directed specifically at his hatred for the mayor, Augustus May-Who, given that he was Grinch's bully during their childhood. It fits when you consider that Augustus' name would come up early in the book alphabetically.
* FetishRetardant: Martha's provocative outfits and flirtatious voice were clearly intended as a [[ParentalBonus Christmas present for all the dads in the audience]], but combining Christine Baranski's sex appeal with Seussian costume designs and [[ButterFace Who makeup]] just forces you to acknowledge that a hypersexual character exists in a Dr. Seuss story, and the implications alone just leaves too many people disgusted to find her sexy.
* FirstInstallmentWins: Compared to its SpiritualSuccessor ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', it at least tries to be suitable for all ages and doesn't lose focus on its plot. Even it's harshest critics will agree it was better than the adaptation that followed, if only for Jim Carrey's performance.
* FranchiseOriginalSin: Despite its missteps in tone, it still keeps the spirit of the original story for the most part. The infamous ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'' film that followed it, however, forgot all of the stuff that worked and instead focused on amplifying everything about ''The Grinch'' movie that was bad. The generous examples of ParentalBonus and {{demographically inappropriate humour}} that ultimately destroy ''Cat in the Hat'' were counterbalanced in ''The Grinch'' with things that were true to the original story and mostly-justifiable instances of AdaptationExpansion, and the creepy look of the Whos ultimately had nothing on [[NightmareFuel Thing 1 and Thing 2]]. As well, Jim Carrey's performance as the Grinch is funny, touching, and consistent in its characterization compared to Mike Myers's lazy see-what-sticks approach to the Cat (and that's not even taking the far inferior makeup into account).
* GeniusBonus: In ''Literature/HortonHearsAWho'', first published three years before the original ''Grinch'' book, Whoville is established as being inside a dust speck. In this movie, it's inside a snowflake, but this is consistent since snowflakes form around dust specks in real life; being inside an ice crystal is just what makes it winter there.
* HamAndCheese: Creator/JimCarrey providing his trademark ham to the movie's cheese. While the critics provide the [[JustForPun whine]].
* HarsherInHindsight:
** After Creator/JeffreyTambor's sexual harassment allegations in the late-2010s, Mayor May-Who's rather creepy fixation on Martha feels a lot grosser.
** At one point in the film, The Grinch sets the Christmas Tree in Whoville on fire. 21 years later, [[https://www.insideedition.com/man-charged-with-arson-for-burning-down-christmas-tree-outside-fox-news-71788 the Fox News Christmas Tree in New York was set on fire by a homeless man]].
* HilariousInHindsight:
** A character who runs away to a snowy mountain as a result of being different from their peers, who ends up creating an impressive lair within that mountain, and eventually defrosts thanks to a brave girl determined to make them open up. Are we talking about the Grinch, or are we talking about [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa]]?
** At the end of the film, when the Grinch realizes that Whoville's love of Christmas isn't merely superficial, he begins to weep and states [[ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy "I'm leaking..."]] Eighteen years later, near the end of the pre-release hype cycle for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', a supposed ContentLeak (which was later revealed to have been an elaborate fake, [[AccidentallyCorrectWriting that nonetheless correctly guessed two of the characters on the roster with DLC added]]) surfaced, and it featured a promotional image of [[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 a newer version of the Grinch]] on the side. You're a leaker, Mister Grinch.
** The Grinch even beat Franchise/{{Shrek}} in being a green colored creature to use a Music/SmashMouth song.
** While climbing the mountain, Dru and Stu describe the Grinch as a [[UrbanLegends horrible monster]] that kills those who come across him. Come 2022 and [[Film/TheMeanOne a movie]] comes out featuring an expy of the Grinch doing exactly that.
* JerkassWoobie: The Grinch due to his [[AdaptationExpansion new backstory]]. He was a [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior borderline sociopath]] as a kid until one Christmas he put all his heart into embracing the holiday and being good... and wound up traumatized and an outcast in the end. Then at the Whobilation, he starts getting into the holiday again... until the Mayor [[YankTheDogsChain yanks his chain]] and reinforces his previous cynical view of it.
* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: While the Grinch is still the antagonist of the story, he is an absolute saint compared to Mayor Augustus. He bullied the Grinch when they were kids and [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp even years later he still sees the Grinch as an outcast.]] When the Grinch was invited to partake in the Cheermeister Celebration, he was genuinely having a good time. He could have turned over a new leaf right there and then, if Augustus didn't remind him of the worst day of the Grinch's life and publicly propose to Martha May just to pour salt in the wound.
* JustHereForGodzilla
** Creator/JimCarrey constantly ChewingTheScenery is one of the most remembered things about this movie. Even professional critics and/or non-fans of Carrey will admit that, regardless of their thoughts on his performance, his casting as the Grinch was perfect.
** Fans of retro-vaudevillian performer Bill Irwin mainly watch this movie to see his performance as Lou Lou Who, as it's one of his only starring roles in a major motion picture.
** Others watch it for a young Creator/TaylorMomsen.
* MemeticMutation:
** Many people have commented on how Mayor Maywho bears a rather [[https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9kpwy4wly1qbn1vmo1_1280.jpg disturbing resemblance]] to former US presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
** "This is not pudding."
** "BRILLIANT!"
** "Almost lost my cool there."[[labelnote:*]][[{{Understatement}} Often paired with a]] DisproportionateRetribution.[[/labelnote]]
** "[[PainfulTransformation Help me! I'm...]] '''[[HeelFaceTurn feeling!]]'''"[[labelnote:*]]Aside from the in-universe context, it's commonly used as a {{Tsundere}} way to admit the user has romantic feelings for someone.[[/labelnote]]
** The entire scene of the Grinch reading aloud his schedule in order to justify not leaving his lair briefly reached memetic status in 2020 as various countries began enforcing national lockdowns.
** [[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/NfG3KuH-EOjJBuFPiNPx7B3IKA3KWOQZXQc9rGIctFAPhKzbsVoXnNn0V64vm4VolXHCyawCylfzkLQU9At0r6OE1_tihc2-dqy3Z19uX9SBRB4cRDWmURr-iP-q1lM-m3E26UhQjYN0FAtD "Baby Grinch"]] has quickly caught gained memetic statues near the end of the 2010s decade due to [[https://www.memesmonkey.com/images/memesmonkey/4c/4c213fd5b441993c34a7eb81032cdebc.jpeg his uncanny design]]. It's become a popular reaction image on Tumblr and 4chan during the Christmas season.
** "I guess I could use a little... ''social interaction.''"[[labelnote:Explanation]]This line from the Grinch is often used as a PreMortemOneLiner indicating that someone is ready to commit an act of mischief.[[/labelnote]]
* MisaimedMarketing: While the film is against consumerism, there were a lot of merchandising tie-ins the year of its release, including video games, a board game, toys and otherwise.
* {{Misblamed}}: Detractors of the film's jokes aimed at adults tend to blame Creator/JimCarrey, who is notorious for ad-libbing and adult humor, for it. It was actually ExecutiveMeddling by the studio that was responsible for the cruder jokes. Carrey actually wanted to keep the film family-friendly.
* {{Moe}}:
** Cindy Lou Who.
** Young Martha May, ignoring that suggestive lollipop scene.
* MoralEventHorizon: Already expressing FantasticRacism against the Grinch even when they were kids and being a HateSink as is, Mayor Maywho crosses it when [[spoiler:he not only pushes the Grinch into rage at the festival, but then berates Cindy Lou in front of everyone after he's stolen Christmas for trying to help the Grinch too, essentially blaming ''a little girl'' for what's happened]].
* NightmareFuel: The amount of creepy-looking people in the film have unsettled many younger viewers over the years.
* OneSceneWonder: The baby Grinch is onscreen for maybe two minutes.
* PlotHole: In the film, the narrator says, "The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Despite this, a large part of the film is devoted to showing us why the Grinch hates Christmas.
* RetroactiveRecognition
** Cindy Lou's actress, Creator/TaylorMomsen, would later play [[Series/GossipGirl Jenny Humphrey]], as well as become the lead singer for Music/ThePrettyReckless.
** Although he was still slightly well-known beforehand as [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Alpha 5]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers Daggett]], the voice on the Grinch's answering machine is provided by Creator/RichardStevenHorvitz, a year before truly achieving infamy as [[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim ZIM]].
** Did you know Creator/ChristineBaranski, who portrayed Beverly Hoffstader in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', starred in this film as Martha May Whovier?
* RomanticPlotTumor: Appropriate for a character who's first scene has her hanging up lights while wearing a provocative outfit, Martha is a textbook "sexy lamp" character who really only exists to give the Grinch and the Mayor something else to fight over. Her relationship to either man has absolutely no bearing on the plot and cutting her entirely wouldn't change it in the slightest.
* RootingForTheEmpire: The Grinch was already subject to this sometimes, but this movie increased it by fleshing out his backstory and giving him a FreudianExcuse, along with making the Whos all seem rather shallow and greedy and [[TooDumbToLive just plain stupid]] by comparison.
* SignatureScene: A lot of the scenes that revolve around Creator/JimCarrey on his own ChewingTheScenery as the Grinch are some of the most timeless moments that people fondly look back on. Some of these classic Carrey-Grinch scenes include him stating his hate to everyone listed in the Whoville telephone book, arguing with his own echo, and reading through his daily schedule.
* SoOkayItsAverage: Is the film as outstanding as the Chuck Jones special? No. But is it better than the live-action ''The Cat in the Hat'' movie? Yes. At the end of the day, it's pretty much just an average Dr. Seuss adaptation that, despite its flaws, has nothing special to offer.
* SpecialEffectsFailure: The film boasts some pretty impressive practical effects and outright stunning makeup, the latter being enough to earn the Best Makeup Oscar, and still look impressive today. The CGI and greenscreen effects, however, are ''firmly'' of their time, especially the CGI Santa in the Grinch's binoculars or the ending scene of him skiing down Mt. Crumpit (it's also ''very'' easy to see when the scene cuts from greenscreen to a live set).
* {{Squick}}
** At one point, [[spoiler:the Grinch gleefully tricks the sleeping mayor into rimming Max]]. No, ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids really]]''.
** How about the fact that the Grinch really ''does'' have [[NauseaFuel termites in his smile]]?
* StrawmanHasAPoint:
** The Grinch's anti-Christmas rant in Whoville is not entirely without merit, given how materialistic and mean the Whos have been treating him over the years, and how they seem to be all too willing to YankTheDogsChain. Even Cindy Lou Who echoes his complaints about the Whos placing too much emphasis on gifts; it's just that the Grinch's complaints feel far more justified, given his backstory treating him like a JerkassWoobie. The Grinch's plan would have succeeded if it hadn't been for Lou Lou Who standing up for his daughter and reminding the people that they still have each other on Christmas.
** Mayor Augustus' insistence than the Grinch not be allowed to attend the Christmas festivities is framed as his personal vendetta against him, but he has good reason to keep him away from the town. Even if they didn't know it, earlier in the film we saw the Grinch go around town vandalizing personal property, giving weapons to kids, messing up people's mail deliveries, and generally delighting in terrorizing the Whos. True, Augustus is directly responsible for sparking the Grinch's Christmas Eve rampage, but the Grinch was a powder keg of rage and destruction that was just waiting to go off, and the mayor is in full rights to be concerned about inviting a volatile troublemaker like him to the centennial of their biggest celebration of the year.
* UglyCute: Baby Grinch, and how!
* ValuesDissonance
** Young Martha's flirtatiousness, especially her first shot where she's dreamily [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything licking a lollypop]], was pushing the envelope but not considered too offensive for the movie-going public of 2000, who were used to seeing much more explicit jailbait imagery in Music/BritneySpears videos. In the social media age, when it's become much easier for people to point to the evidence of how harmful even the most gently implied sexualization of minors can be to underage people, it feels much more inappropriate.
** Adult Martha isn't much better. Her many, many provocative outfits and lustful attitude were already considered FetishRetardant when the film was first released (her first scene alone has her rapid-firing from a canon that causes her to jiggle around a lot while wearing a {{stripperiffic}} Santa-themed hoop skirt and bustier), but like the above, having such blatant female objectification and explicit sexuality in a family movie would greatly upset people concerned with the effect of both on children.
** The Grinch calling Max a "sicko" for assuming that his "kilt" (read: tablecloth worn around his waist) is a dress. Nowadays, just assuming that isn't seen as sick at all.
* ValuesResonance: With the ''increased'' consumerism regarding Christmas since 2000, the film's message about gifts really aged well.
* VindicatedByHistory: While nobody is about to call this film a masterpiece, opinions of it have softened into more of a GuiltyPleasure, especially when held up next to the far less popular adaptation of ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', which cranked the inappropriate jokes up to eleven and had much poorer casting choices (criticize Jim Carrey all you want, but he's a much better choice for The Grinch than Mike Myers was for The Cat). In the wake of the [[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 animated version from 2018]], which was criticized for trying so hard to be inoffensive that it wound up being [[SoOkayItsAverage insufferably dull]], others have given this one credit for at least doing a distinct variation on its source material, whether or not it always worked.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: One thing the viewers can unanimously agree on with this movie is how spot on the make-up for the Grinch is. They managed to make Jim Carrey look ''exactly'' like the Grinch without the slightest restriction to his wide array of facial expressions, a feat that could not have been easy; to give an idea of how much free range Carrey's facial muscles had, his version of the Grinch's iconic EvilGrin is [[https://media1.tenor.com/images/68de56562f7e49aeea3982aed034dc30/tenor.gif?itemid=16296758 entirely him being able to pull that off]] ''on command''. No wonder this film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup in 2000.
* TheWoobie: Cindy. She's completely missing out on what Christmas truly is and nobody listens to her at all. It gets to the point that, when she cheers up the Grinch by sending him to the Cheermister and Mayor May-Who's cruel joke on the Grinch causes the Grinch to destroy the entire place, [[TheScapegoat she is blamed instead of May-Who]].
-->'''Cindy:''' ''(heartbroken)'' I just wanted everyone to be together for Christmas.
* WTHCostumingDepartment: The teen and adult Whos; their doglike facial features and lack of visible lips makes for copious amounts of UnintentionalUncannyValley, especially next to the kids, who look like normal humans with only slight modifications (Cindy Lou Who's large front teeth, for instance).
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* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** The Grinch's backstory provides one: is he just naturally bad from birth, or did he become that way from how he was treated by many of the Whos?
** Due to her AdaptationalIntelligence, the scene where Santa Grinch tries to fool Cindy Lou Who takes on a different tone from the original. When she leaves with a pointed message telling "Santa" not to forget the Grinch, was it just her being kind, or was she ObfuscatingStupidity and trying to appeal to the Grinch's good side?
* AluminumChristmasTrees: A more unconventional instance than most, but still applicable nonetheless: a good number of viewers both then and now thought the Grinch's facial expressions in the film were mostly the result of the makeup Creator/JimCarrey wore, when in actuality he's fully capable of morphing his face to that heavy of a degree on command. One of Carrey's stand-up bits in the 90's involved him doing "facial impressions" of various celebrities, with his version of the Grinch's EvilGrin being a re-purposing of his Creator/JackNicholson impression; Carrey is [[https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/759/171/9d1.gif still fully capable]] of pulling off faces like that to this day and typically does it nowadays to amuse child fans and their parents.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic
** Although some would say it's more of a [[AwardBaitSong Award-Baiting]] GuiltyPleasure, "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?" and its full-length country-pop version "[[Music/FaithHill Where Are You Christmas?]]" is a touching song that has become somewhat of a modern Christmas staple.
** For the instrumental score, you can never, ever go wrong with Music/JamesHorner.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Martha May Whovier. As a new character introduced in this film, she's either an accepted addition as Grinch's LoveInterest (a lot of artwork has been made that shows them off together), or she's a completely pointless character that adds nothing of value to such a classic Christmas story.
* CantUnHearIt: For millennials and (to a ''much'' lesser extent) early Gen Zers, Creator/JimCarrey's voice is the Grinch in their minds.
* CatharsisFactor: After seeing the Grinch be ruthlessly tormented by the Whos, him [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge thrashing the entire festival]] -- including [[TheDogBitesBack his revenge on Maywho with the razor]] -- is nothing short of rewarding. His TheReasonYouSuckSpeech towards the Whos' selfishness and hypocrisy also deserves a mention.
* CriticalBacklash: From the half of the audience who likes it. It's not considered among the greatest Christmas films of all time, and the AdaptationExpansion and more negative approach to the Whos are controversial, but for fans it's not a bad film adaptation of the book and mostly maintains the spirit of it. And not to mention, it's ''far'' better than the following [[Film/TheCatInTheHat film]] based on a Creator/DrSeuss book. It helps that Creator/RonHoward [[WordOfGod defended the film]] as more variations on a theme than a straight adaptation.
* CriticProof: This was the #1 film in North America ''five'' weeks in a row upon release, and became the highest grossing film of 2000 domestically ($260 million) and remains the highest-grossing live-action Christmas movie since ''Film/HomeAlone1''. But critical response was ''sharply'' divided (52% on Rotten Tomatoes and 46/100 on Metacritic).
* CultClassic: Since the film's release and especially after ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'' and later the 2018 AnimatedAdaptation ''The Grinch'', there are those who think of this film as a live-action Christmas classic. Jim Carrey's performance and the effective makeup and messages are the particular strengths for them. Quoting this movie is a time-honored social media tradition for those who enjoyed it as children.
* {{Fanon}}:
** [[https://popculture.com/movies/news/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-theory-max-break-heart/ A popular fan theory posits]] that Max was a Christmas puppy someone threw away like all the other garbage the Grinch rants about in his ReasonYouSuckSpeech. This would explain his UndyingLoyalty, with even his ServileSnarker moments being interpreted as simply how friends who knew other for a long time treat each other.
** Grinch's "Loathe entirely!" when reading the book of Whos alphabetically is directed specifically at his hatred for the mayor, Augustus May-Who, given that he was Grinch's bully during their childhood. It fits when you consider that Augustus' name would come up early in the book alphabetically.
* FetishRetardant: Martha's provocative outfits and flirtatious voice were clearly intended as a [[ParentalBonus Christmas present for all the dads in the audience]], but combining Christine Baranski's sex appeal with Seussian costume designs and [[ButterFace Who makeup]] just forces you to acknowledge that a hypersexual character exists in a Dr. Seuss story, and the implications alone just leaves too many people disgusted to find her sexy.
* FirstInstallmentWins: Compared to its SpiritualSuccessor ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', it at least tries to be suitable for all ages and doesn't lose focus on its plot. Even it's harshest critics will agree it was better than the adaptation that followed, if only for Jim Carrey's performance.
* FranchiseOriginalSin: Despite its missteps in tone, it still keeps the spirit of the original story for the most part. The infamous ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'' film that followed it, however, forgot all of the stuff that worked and instead focused on amplifying everything about ''The Grinch'' movie that was bad. The generous examples of ParentalBonus and {{demographically inappropriate humour}} that ultimately destroy ''Cat in the Hat'' were counterbalanced in ''The Grinch'' with things that were true to the original story and mostly-justifiable instances of AdaptationExpansion, and the creepy look of the Whos ultimately had nothing on [[NightmareFuel Thing 1 and Thing 2]]. As well, Jim Carrey's performance as the Grinch is funny, touching, and consistent in its characterization compared to Mike Myers's lazy see-what-sticks approach to the Cat (and that's not even taking the far inferior makeup into account).
* GeniusBonus: In ''Literature/HortonHearsAWho'', first published three years before the original ''Grinch'' book, Whoville is established as being inside a dust speck. In this movie, it's inside a snowflake, but this is consistent since snowflakes form around dust specks in real life; being inside an ice crystal is just what makes it winter there.
* HamAndCheese: Creator/JimCarrey providing his trademark ham to the movie's cheese. While the critics provide the [[JustForPun whine]].
* HarsherInHindsight:
** After Creator/JeffreyTambor's sexual harassment allegations in the late-2010s, Mayor May-Who's rather creepy fixation on Martha feels a lot grosser.
** At one point in the film, The Grinch sets the Christmas Tree in Whoville on fire. 21 years later, [[https://www.insideedition.com/man-charged-with-arson-for-burning-down-christmas-tree-outside-fox-news-71788 the Fox News Christmas Tree in New York was set on fire by a homeless man]].
* HilariousInHindsight:
** A character who runs away to a snowy mountain as a result of being different from their peers, who ends up creating an impressive lair within that mountain, and eventually defrosts thanks to a brave girl determined to make them open up. Are we talking about the Grinch, or are we talking about [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa]]?
** At the end of the film, when the Grinch realizes that Whoville's love of Christmas isn't merely superficial, he begins to weep and states [[ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy "I'm leaking..."]] Eighteen years later, near the end of the pre-release hype cycle for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', a supposed ContentLeak (which was later revealed to have been an elaborate fake, [[AccidentallyCorrectWriting that nonetheless correctly guessed two of the characters on the roster with DLC added]]) surfaced, and it featured a promotional image of [[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 a newer version of the Grinch]] on the side. You're a leaker, Mister Grinch.
** The Grinch even beat Franchise/{{Shrek}} in being a green colored creature to use a Music/SmashMouth song.
** While climbing the mountain, Dru and Stu describe the Grinch as a [[UrbanLegends horrible monster]] that kills those who come across him. Come 2022 and [[Film/TheMeanOne a movie]] comes out featuring an expy of the Grinch doing exactly that.
* JerkassWoobie: The Grinch due to his [[AdaptationExpansion new backstory]]. He was a [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior borderline sociopath]] as a kid until one Christmas he put all his heart into embracing the holiday and being good... and wound up traumatized and an outcast in the end. Then at the Whobilation, he starts getting into the holiday again... until the Mayor [[YankTheDogsChain yanks his chain]] and reinforces his previous cynical view of it.
* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: While the Grinch is still the antagonist of the story, he is an absolute saint compared to Mayor Augustus. He bullied the Grinch when they were kids and [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp even years later he still sees the Grinch as an outcast.]] When the Grinch was invited to partake in the Cheermeister Celebration, he was genuinely having a good time. He could have turned over a new leaf right there and then, if Augustus didn't remind him of the worst day of the Grinch's life and publicly propose to Martha May just to pour salt in the wound.
* JustHereForGodzilla
** Creator/JimCarrey constantly ChewingTheScenery is one of the most remembered things about this movie. Even professional critics and/or non-fans of Carrey will admit that, regardless of their thoughts on his performance, his casting as the Grinch was perfect.
** Fans of retro-vaudevillian performer Bill Irwin mainly watch this movie to see his performance as Lou Lou Who, as it's one of his only starring roles in a major motion picture.
** Others watch it for a young Creator/TaylorMomsen.
* MemeticMutation:
** Many people have commented on how Mayor Maywho bears a rather [[https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9kpwy4wly1qbn1vmo1_1280.jpg disturbing resemblance]] to former US presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
** "This is not pudding."
** "BRILLIANT!"
** "Almost lost my cool there."[[labelnote:*]][[{{Understatement}} Often paired with a]] DisproportionateRetribution.[[/labelnote]]
** "[[PainfulTransformation Help me! I'm...]] '''[[HeelFaceTurn feeling!]]'''"[[labelnote:*]]Aside from the in-universe context, it's commonly used as a {{Tsundere}} way to admit the user has romantic feelings for someone.[[/labelnote]]
** The entire scene of the Grinch reading aloud his schedule in order to justify not leaving his lair briefly reached memetic status in 2020 as various countries began enforcing national lockdowns.
** [[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/NfG3KuH-EOjJBuFPiNPx7B3IKA3KWOQZXQc9rGIctFAPhKzbsVoXnNn0V64vm4VolXHCyawCylfzkLQU9At0r6OE1_tihc2-dqy3Z19uX9SBRB4cRDWmURr-iP-q1lM-m3E26UhQjYN0FAtD "Baby Grinch"]] has quickly caught gained memetic statues near the end of the 2010s decade due to [[https://www.memesmonkey.com/images/memesmonkey/4c/4c213fd5b441993c34a7eb81032cdebc.jpeg his uncanny design]]. It's become a popular reaction image on Tumblr and 4chan during the Christmas season.
** "I guess I could use a little... ''social interaction.''"[[labelnote:Explanation]]This line from the Grinch is often used as a PreMortemOneLiner indicating that someone is ready to commit an act of mischief.[[/labelnote]]
* MisaimedMarketing: While the film is against consumerism, there were a lot of merchandising tie-ins the year of its release, including video games, a board game, toys and otherwise.
* {{Misblamed}}: Detractors of the film's jokes aimed at adults tend to blame Creator/JimCarrey, who is notorious for ad-libbing and adult humor, for it. It was actually ExecutiveMeddling by the studio that was responsible for the cruder jokes. Carrey actually wanted to keep the film family-friendly.
* {{Moe}}:
** Cindy Lou Who.
** Young Martha May, ignoring that suggestive lollipop scene.
* MoralEventHorizon: Already expressing FantasticRacism against the Grinch even when they were kids and being a HateSink as is, Mayor Maywho crosses it when [[spoiler:he not only pushes the Grinch into rage at the festival, but then berates Cindy Lou in front of everyone after he's stolen Christmas for trying to help the Grinch too, essentially blaming ''a little girl'' for what's happened]].
* NightmareFuel: The amount of creepy-looking people in the film have unsettled many younger viewers over the years.
* OneSceneWonder: The baby Grinch is onscreen for maybe two minutes.
* PlotHole: In the film, the narrator says, "The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Despite this, a large part of the film is devoted to showing us why the Grinch hates Christmas.
* RetroactiveRecognition
** Cindy Lou's actress, Creator/TaylorMomsen, would later play [[Series/GossipGirl Jenny Humphrey]], as well as become the lead singer for Music/ThePrettyReckless.
** Although he was still slightly well-known beforehand as [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Alpha 5]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers Daggett]], the voice on the Grinch's answering machine is provided by Creator/RichardStevenHorvitz, a year before truly achieving infamy as [[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim ZIM]].
** Did you know Creator/ChristineBaranski, who portrayed Beverly Hoffstader in ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', starred in this film as Martha May Whovier?
* RomanticPlotTumor: Appropriate for a character who's first scene has her hanging up lights while wearing a provocative outfit, Martha is a textbook "sexy lamp" character who really only exists to give the Grinch and the Mayor something else to fight over. Her relationship to either man has absolutely no bearing on the plot and cutting her entirely wouldn't change it in the slightest.
* RootingForTheEmpire: The Grinch was already subject to this sometimes, but this movie increased it by fleshing out his backstory and giving him a FreudianExcuse, along with making the Whos all seem rather shallow and greedy and [[TooDumbToLive just plain stupid]] by comparison.
* SignatureScene: A lot of the scenes that revolve around Creator/JimCarrey on his own ChewingTheScenery as the Grinch are some of the most timeless moments that people fondly look back on. Some of these classic Carrey-Grinch scenes include him stating his hate to everyone listed in the Whoville telephone book, arguing with his own echo, and reading through his daily schedule.
* SoOkayItsAverage: Is the film as outstanding as the Chuck Jones special? No. But is it better than the live-action ''The Cat in the Hat'' movie? Yes. At the end of the day, it's pretty much just an average Dr. Seuss adaptation that, despite its flaws, has nothing special to offer.
* SpecialEffectsFailure: The film boasts some pretty impressive practical effects and outright stunning makeup, the latter being enough to earn the Best Makeup Oscar, and still look impressive today. The CGI and greenscreen effects, however, are ''firmly'' of their time, especially the CGI Santa in the Grinch's binoculars or the ending scene of him skiing down Mt. Crumpit (it's also ''very'' easy to see when the scene cuts from greenscreen to a live set).
* {{Squick}}
** At one point, [[spoiler:the Grinch gleefully tricks the sleeping mayor into rimming Max]]. No, ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids really]]''.
** How about the fact that the Grinch really ''does'' have [[NauseaFuel termites in his smile]]?
* StrawmanHasAPoint:
** The Grinch's anti-Christmas rant in Whoville is not entirely without merit, given how materialistic and mean the Whos have been treating him over the years, and how they seem to be all too willing to YankTheDogsChain. Even Cindy Lou Who echoes his complaints about the Whos placing too much emphasis on gifts; it's just that the Grinch's complaints feel far more justified, given his backstory treating him like a JerkassWoobie. The Grinch's plan would have succeeded if it hadn't been for Lou Lou Who standing up for his daughter and reminding the people that they still have each other on Christmas.
** Mayor Augustus' insistence than the Grinch not be allowed to attend the Christmas festivities is framed as his personal vendetta against him, but he has good reason to keep him away from the town. Even if they didn't know it, earlier in the film we saw the Grinch go around town vandalizing personal property, giving weapons to kids, messing up people's mail deliveries, and generally delighting in terrorizing the Whos. True, Augustus is directly responsible for sparking the Grinch's Christmas Eve rampage, but the Grinch was a powder keg of rage and destruction that was just waiting to go off, and the mayor is in full rights to be concerned about inviting a volatile troublemaker like him to the centennial of their biggest celebration of the year.
* UglyCute: Baby Grinch, and how!
* ValuesDissonance
** Young Martha's flirtatiousness, especially her first shot where she's dreamily [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything licking a lollypop]], was pushing the envelope but not considered too offensive for the movie-going public of 2000, who were used to seeing much more explicit jailbait imagery in Music/BritneySpears videos. In the social media age, when it's become much easier for people to point to the evidence of how harmful even the most gently implied sexualization of minors can be to underage people, it feels much more inappropriate.
** Adult Martha isn't much better. Her many, many provocative outfits and lustful attitude were already considered FetishRetardant when the film was first released (her first scene alone has her rapid-firing from a canon that causes her to jiggle around a lot while wearing a {{stripperiffic}} Santa-themed hoop skirt and bustier), but like the above, having such blatant female objectification and explicit sexuality in a family movie would greatly upset people concerned with the effect of both on children.
** The Grinch calling Max a "sicko" for assuming that his "kilt" (read: tablecloth worn around his waist) is a dress. Nowadays, just assuming that isn't seen as sick at all.
* ValuesResonance: With the ''increased'' consumerism regarding Christmas since 2000, the film's message about gifts really aged well.
* VindicatedByHistory: While nobody is about to call this film a masterpiece, opinions of it have softened into more of a GuiltyPleasure, especially when held up next to the far less popular adaptation of ''Film/TheCatInTheHat'', which cranked the inappropriate jokes up to eleven and had much poorer casting choices (criticize Jim Carrey all you want, but he's a much better choice for The Grinch than Mike Myers was for The Cat). In the wake of the [[WesternAnimation/TheGrinch2018 animated version from 2018]], which was criticized for trying so hard to be inoffensive that it wound up being [[SoOkayItsAverage insufferably dull]], others have given this one credit for at least doing a distinct variation on its source material, whether or not it always worked.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: One thing the viewers can unanimously agree on with this movie is how spot on the make-up for the Grinch is. They managed to make Jim Carrey look ''exactly'' like the Grinch without the slightest restriction to his wide array of facial expressions, a feat that could not have been easy; to give an idea of how much free range Carrey's facial muscles had, his version of the Grinch's iconic EvilGrin is [[https://media1.tenor.com/images/68de56562f7e49aeea3982aed034dc30/tenor.gif?itemid=16296758 entirely him being able to pull that off]] ''on command''. No wonder this film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup in 2000.
* TheWoobie: Cindy. She's completely missing out on what Christmas truly is and nobody listens to her at all. It gets to the point that, when she cheers up the Grinch by sending him to the Cheermister and Mayor May-Who's cruel joke on the Grinch causes the Grinch to destroy the entire place, [[TheScapegoat she is blamed instead of May-Who]].
-->'''Cindy:''' ''(heartbroken)'' I just wanted everyone to be together for Christmas.
* WTHCostumingDepartment: The teen and adult Whos; their doglike facial features and lack of visible lips makes for copious amounts of UnintentionalUncannyValley, especially next to the kids, who look like normal humans with only slight modifications (Cindy Lou Who's large front teeth, for instance).
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