I think I've always liked this film more than other people. That's because Jim Carrey is a walking cartoon, so he embodies the animated character so effortlessly. Ron Howard's adaptation of the misanthropic children's classic is a bit long in the tooth, but it's cemented itself in the minds of a lot of kids due to being aired annually on TV. It's not perfect by any means (they add a lot of backstory which I find a touch unnecessary), but it's a perfect accompaniment to the original, despite the fact that some of the Whovian make-up effects might trigger nightmares in smaller kids. But then again, isn't that what Christmas is all about?
Those prosthetic effects (by Rick Baker) are excellent, although Carrey had such a hard time during the production that they hired a CIA agent to give him torture endurance training. That's what I call suffering for your art.
When you think about it, this is the original Wicked.
3½ thirty-nine-and-a-half foot poles out of 5
