THE GRINCH

Not to be Grinch-y about it, but Illumination’s sweet-but-bland animated re-telling is largely surplus to requirements. As the green grump who tries to steal Christmas, Benedict Cumberbatch lends his snarky American twang to a cute adap that literally and figuratively files the sharp edges off Dr. Suess’ parsimonious classic. It’s likely to split audiences into two camps: the uninitiated who’ll enjoy a mild festive romp featuring an inexplicable Damascene conversion; and those who’ve seen Jim Carrey eat lightbulbs and vent spleen in Ron Howard’s darker, superior, 2000 bah-humbug. Jane Crowther