The Grinch (2018)

[Nick]

A movie can appeal hugely to kids and still have heart to it though and that's my bigger issue with Illumination. I LOVED Despicable Me because it had a ton of heart. The franchise and most other Illumination movies have gone completely away from that and it's just generic fluff gags with fart jokes.

I'm not asking for a Picasso here - I actually really liked Trolls (I know, Dreamworks). But i'm not a big fan of much of DreamWorks stuff of late either. The only other thing I like from them that isn't Shrek 1 is the HTTYD movies. Why? Both Trolls and HTTYD, while obviously being kids first movies, have a certain amount of heart to them that makes them endearing.

 

[Ryan]

Critics are not their target demographic either. Nor is Rotten Tomatoes. It's kids, and they do a good job making movies that kids want to see.

Illumination makes movies that kids want to see over and over. That's their business model, and they are good at it. If giving it a story that critics and adults like costs them a few hundred million, there isn't an incentive to do it.

It's not JUST for kids, but it's FOR kids. One kid's opinion is more important here than every adult's at once. You are not the target audience.

Obviously I'm not going to turn you or convince you, but I'm merely pointing out two facts:

1) animation deserves to have the value that other studios put into it which you refuse to give it

and

2) Illumination's very model is cutting budget on story development, design (they reuse models) and animation and instead focus on specific marketing tools, and are very hyper-vigilant on how their trailers come across which will drive people to the cinemas. Sing is the far most egregious culprit in this, here's a good video explaining it:



But you're still pounding that it's for kids and why should we care if our children get actual quality entertainment my daughter my son likes such-and-such and such-and-such, okay. Fine. But in the end, Illumination is still marketing first, story second. Like the movies if you want, but that fact is still true. Doesn't make you a bad person for liking their films, but this is why I do not like them. I don't have any clue why this is such a hard pill for some of you to swallow.

 

[Nick]

I know that $$$$ doesn't equal quality, but comparing the last 2 offerings,

Illumination's DM3 made $1.035 Billion.

PIXAR's Coco made $748.9 million.

Slightly unfair comparison to say the least given that Coco was a non-sequel whereas DM3 was the fourth film in a franchise.

 

[fryoj]

But you're still pounding that it's for kids and why should we care if our children get actual quality entertainment my daughter my son likes such-and-such and such-and-such, okay. Fine. But in the end, Illumination is still marketing first, story second. Like the movies if you want, but that fact is still true. Doesn't make you a bad person for liking their films, but this is why I do not like them. I don't have any clue why this is such a hard pill for some of you to swallow.

You've been pounding for days about how you hate Illumination, and keep repeating marketing first, story second. That's fine. You don't like it. We get it. I don't get the hate. Theres lots of movies I don't like. I don't make multiple pages of posts saying the exact same thing though. Trashing their product because you don't like it is pointless.

 

[quinnmac000]

I find it more humorous you watched films you knew you wouldn't enjoy to later state how you didn't enjoy it. Seems like Illuminations did its job.

 

[Disneyhead]

Slightly unfair comparison to say the least given that Coco was a non-sequel whereas DM3 was the fourth film in a franchise.

Ok, Finding Dory made $1.029 Billion.

 

[RevFreako]

You've been pounding for days about how you hate Illumination, and keep repeating marketing first, story second. That's fine. You don't like it. We get it. I don't get the hate. Theres lots of movies I don't like. I don't make multiple pages of posts saying the exact same thing though. Trashing their product because you don't like it is pointless.

This. Ryan puts more effort into not liking a thing than I ever put into liking anything I ever liked.

 

[UNIrd]

Am I the only one who choked up at the end of Secret Life of Pets when all the humans came home to their pets and Bill Withers' "Lovely Day" playing in the background? :look:

 

[Ryan]

This. Ryan puts more effort into not liking a thing than I ever put into liking anything I ever liked.

You've been pounding for days about how you hate Illumination, and keep repeating marketing first, story second. That's fine. You don't like it. We get it. I don't get the hate. Theres lots of movies I don't like. I don't make multiple pages of posts saying the exact same thing though. Trashing their product because you don't like it is pointless.

Yet you guys are defending it just as vigilantly? Like isn’t the point of a forum to have discussion? I told you my point and that it’s fine to like them if that’s your thing, and you’re acting as if I didn’t.

 

[quinnmac000]

So more information came out about this film.

Its an origin story of how the Grinch came to be the Grinch and his fall to rock bottom and his redemption in the end.

 

[Ridgepole]

So more information came out about this film.

Its an origin story of how the Grinch came to be the Grinch and his fall to rock bottom and his redemption in the end.

Guilty, as evidenced by my being here. Waiting for redemption.

 

[DK745]

 

[belloq87]

Still not terribly impressed, but at least that trailer is actually selling this as a Christmas movie.

 

[Galaxy Defender]

I hope it does well with the kids. Me? I'll pass.

 

[Ryan]

Man those are some bad jokes. And of course more padding. I’ll pass as others have said

 

[quinnmac000]

The trend for Illumination films on nearly every forum, ugh this is awful I will pass. Movie comes out hits record numbers...no explanation because everyone said they weren't going to go see it then ends up going to see it.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

The trend for Illumination films on nearly every forum, ugh this is awful I will pass. Movie comes out hints record numbers...no explanation because everyone said they weren't going to go see it ends up going to see it.

Honestly, I am looking forward to it, if only for the animation, as Illumination is stupid-good at that at a lot of times.

But to me, what is turning me slightly away from The Grinch, is actually how it's being presented. Perhaps the actual film will beg, but it seems that they are starting to retread into the ice of Ron Howard's film, which, while a really good retelling, I would rather want it to take a unique spin. At-least, from what the trailers are giving me a vibe off of.

I hope this film surprises me in the way Sing surprised me, but I have some...concerns.

 

[quinnmac000]

But to me, what is turning me slightly away from The Grinch, is actually how it's being presented. Perhaps the actual film will beg, but it seems that they are starting to retread into the ice of Ron Howard's film, which, while a really good retelling, I would rather want it to take a unique spin. At-least, from what the trailers are giving me a vibe off of.

I hope this film surprises me in the way Sing surprised me, but I have some...concerns.

I will give you that as a valid point.

 

[Ryan]

The trend for Illumination films on nearly every forum, ugh this is awful I will pass. Movie comes out hits record numbers...no explanation because everyone said they weren't going to go see it then ends up going to see it.

Uh, I won't. Don't push your narrative that we're the people going to see these movies, because we're not. Illumination films do not make that much money. In fact, only a couple of them have actually broken box office records.

 

[Tobias]

The trend for Illumination films on nearly every forum, ugh this is awful I will pass. Movie comes out hits record numbers...no explanation because everyone said they weren't going to go see it then ends up going to see it.

There's actually a good explanation for the films doing decent numbers, Illumination has no shame whatsoever when it comes to marketing. They will slap a ad/trailer anywhere they can and in sheer bulk, there are pictures out there of AMC theaters with Sing ads plastered anywhere they can put it. I've rarely seen a film not do decent numbers when they market that heavily.

Speaking of heavy marketing, I'm also hearing in AMC theaters they're having the Grinch just pop up in-between trailers, and then eventually show the actual Grinch trailer on top of that. Humility is not in Illuminations vocabulary.

Not to mention, on top of the heavy marketing, it's easy to make a profit when the film was done relatively cheap. Most of Illumination's films are made under $80 million, unlike say Pixar which the films are made with $100's of millions. In the way of "cheap" budget for profits, Illumination is the animated studio equivalent of Blumhouse.