What’s better than being close to loved ones with a fire, a holiday movie, and a cup of hot chocolate in hand on a cold, snowy day? Absolutely nothing. Classics like Elf, The Polar Express, and Home Alone are known worldwide and are among my favorites. They bring us into a wonderful world of imagination that warms us, invigorates us, and fills us with the Christmas spirit. We can’t wait to settle in with friends and family and see these classics again and again.
But then there are remakes and sequels. And that magical feeling we got watching those movies starts to fade. There are over 200 remakes of A Christmas Carol! Have you seen any of them? Or how about Home Alone? Has anyone ever watched Home Alone three, four, five, and six? I’m guessing not. This is because the more sequels, the less magic. These movies just aren’t as special as they used to be with new actors, plots, and relationships; it’s just not the same. Remember when Kevin makes a milkshake out of rootbear, marshmallows, sugar and ice cream sundaes. You probably don’t because it’s from Home Alone 5. But, everyone remembers the iconic scene where Kevin in Home Alone, puts aftershave lotion on and proceeds to scream with his hands grabbing his face. It’s these moments that make old and nostalgic movies far superior to new ones.
However, there is one exception: The Grinch. The Grinch was one of the first ever colored Christmas movies, shown on TV nine years after the first color movie came out in 1957. It’s one of the most iconic Christmas movies ever. With a connectable villain who turns good and a cute hero, it indeed makes your heart feel as if it has grown “three sizes.” In 2018, Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier directed a new Grinch movie with a similar plot, but animated it with a 3D rendering on a computer. This version had celebrity voices such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Pharrell Williams. Only 61 days after it was released, The Grinch (2018) brought in 500 million dollars, making it the highest grossing Christmas film of all time.
When I first saw the movie, I loved it. From the first minute in Whoville with songs and rhymes, to kids throwing snowballs for thrills and good times, I knew that this movie would be sublime. Its vibrant and stunning animations, warm Christmas feel, festive music, and heart-warming story of Cindy Lou Who made me realize that this new version outshines the original.
Even with the failure of sequels, Christmas movies are still the best way to spend your free time during the holidays. So, light a fire, grab a delicious cup of hot chocolate, sit back, relax, and enjoy a selection of your favorite old Christmas movies, igniting the magic!