I’m not sure what Dr. Seuss would think of his beloved creation terrorizing a town and threatening to ruin Christmas. Perhaps he’s turning over in his grave or maybe he’s relived that The Grinch has new life. It’s hard to say, but nonetheless, the cantankerous old coot sure is mean. Good for him, huh? Well, I don’t know how useful a candy cane would be for impaling a Santa cosplayer, but I suppose that doesn’t mean much when the citizens of Newville are being murdered left and right. So much for having a most joyous time of year.

There’s a lot of mayhem in this film. There’s plenty of blood and gore to go around, plus there are even a few severed limbs that you can stuff in a friend’s stocking. It may not make for a pleasant surprise, but it’d be a surprise nonetheless. Hard to that argue with that isn’t, it? Anyway, I’m glad that Cindy has the means to give The Mean One a run for his money. The gearing up montage is on point and Cindy has more weapons than she knows what to do with. Overprepared much? Sure, but sometimes going all out is necessary, especially when a creature with a hunger for human flesh is out and about. I don’t know why he has a thing for flesh, though it doesn’t feel out of place knowing that those who like Christmas aren’t gonna be around for much longer. And to think they’re looking forward to opening presents under the tree.

One thing I like about the film is that it deals with the reality of monsters. It’s a simple but interesting idea, especially since Cindy believes that The Mean One is real in spite of being an adult. I can see why she doesn’t like being cooped up in the psychiatric ward. The nurses and doctors think they have her figured out, but really they don’t. I bet they’ll be getting lumps of coal in their stockings—that is, if they survive the holidays. Perhaps their fates will be revealed in a sequel? I don’t know. Nonetheless, the crazy lady subplot doesn’t really go anywhere, so you’d be hard-pressed to find it riveting. I won’t knock the director for trying, though.

The Mean One never tries too hard, nor does it go on for longer than it should. I wouldn’t say it’s the horror movie equivalent to a present that I’ve been waiting all year for, but still, I found it easy to enjoy. I couldn’t complain about that even if I did encounter the titular creature.