The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982)

The small screen production "The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat" is an animated short film from 1982, so this one has its 35th anniversary this year already. It was directed by Bill Perez, but the real star here is of course the beloved Dr. Seuss who wrote it. Anyway, looking at the title I may actually be wrong with the title of my review as it is almost a bit much and on the cringeworthy side, but it still tells us that this short film of slightly under 25 minutes unites two of the most beloved Dr. Seuss characters in one film. Disney did it, Warner Bros. did it and Dr. Seuss does it too, which should be no surprise as his short films are usually way longer than the ones of the other two I just mentioned. Or I could actually say Marvel as this one here (believe it or not) was actually produced by Marvel. Anyway, the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch both got their own animated short films several years before this one here was made and that's also why I believe that by the early 1980s they may have crossed their peaks already for a little while, especially the Grinch as his first and most famous work goes back way into the 1960s. Never been a big fan of the Cat in the Hat to be honest, so I may be slightly biased if I say that this one here did very little for me in both story/plot as well as dialogues as well, which was a bit shocking as this is usually where Seuss makes up for deficits in other areas. At least the voice acting was good I guess, perhaps the best thing about this one here. But it's just not enough to make up for all the flaws and weak aspects linked to this little movie. Also everything before that just isn't involving enough to make up for this big emotional ending. And I have no idea how this mediocre piece won two Emmys, must have been a pretty weak year in terms of animated television. I give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

Dr. Seuss introduced the world to the authority-defying Cat in the Hat in the book of the same name, and the happiness-hating Grinch in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", both of which got turned into TV specials. It was inevitable that these classic characters should co-star. My favorite scene in "The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat" was always the scene where the green-faced grouch uses his Vacusound Sweeper to mess with the cat's surroundings, turning everything into a wacky mix of colors. Around the time that Dr. Seuss died, I saw an interview with him from some years earlier, and he said that the Grinch was his favorite of all his characters. It's easy to see why the Grinch was his favorite, and you're sure to enjoy this short just as much as "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (the 1966 TV special, not the 2000 feature film; I heard only negative things about that movie).

I love the writing and stories of Dr Seuss, they are funny, witty, colourful and charming with great characters and amusing plots. The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas are Dr Seuss at his best. The cartoon versions are timeless classics, and when it comes to the live-action versions Grinch is inferior but not as bad as it is made out to be in my opinion but Cat in the Hat is an abomination and the anti-thesis of the story it is based upon.So what is this special? Well it is classic Dr Seuss, with not one but two classic Dr Who characters, The Grinch and Cat in the Hat. These two are great and iconic on their own, just imagine them together, for me it was a wonderful treat and so much fun. The story of The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat is simple, but has all the charm and fun of Dr Seuss's work. The dialogue is also very funny and witty.The animation also impresses, it is very colourful and vibrant and sticks true to the style of the illustrations, while the music is equally energetic and playful. The pace is spot on, brisk and with seldom a dull moment, and both characters are wonderful to watch and exude an entertaining chemistry. The voice work is faultless, of course there will be inevitable comparisons with the original voice actors, but these voice actors are just as worthy and do a terrific job.In conclusion, clever and entertaining special. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The usually ill-tempered Grinch (given a deliciously oily voice by Bob Holt) wakes up one morning in an atypically happy mood. But the miserable wretch soon reverts back to his customary sour and grumpy buzz-crushing self and becomes determined to put a damper on the jolly and effervescent the Cat in the Hat (delightfully voiced with lip-smacking exuberance by Mason Adams). The Cat in the Hat does what he can to make the Grinch a contented and cheerful fellow again. The pairing of these two classic Dr. Seuss characters in a single offbeat television special rates as a truly ingenious masterstroke, as the polite, chipper and charming the Cat in the Hat and the rude, hateful and grouchy Grinch make for perfect radically contrasting foils for each other. The Grinch in particular makes for a marvelously wicked joy to watch as he revels in his own snarly psychopathic meanness by distorting sounds into hideous noises and casting a gloomy pallor across the land. One amusing highlight occurs when the Cat in the Hat psychoanalyzes the Grinch to find out what's exactly wrong with him. Add the expected wacky and inventive wordplay, a jaunty and harmonic score by Joe Raposo, nifty and imaginative animation, several witty and catchy songs, a sweet central message, and a genuinely heartwarming conclusion and the net result is yet another fun little winner from the always sharp and creative mind of the singular Dr. Seuss.