Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent Grinch horror parody has lots of blood, death.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Mean One
What's the Story?
One Christmas Eve, as THE MEAN ONE begins, a green creature dressed like Santa attempts to steal the Christmas decorations in the town of Newville. When he enters Cindy's (Saphina Chanadet) house he is surprised by her mother (Tina Van Berk,) who ends up dead after an accidental mishap with The Mean One (David Howard Thornton). Shocked by the events, the town stopped celebrating Christmas. Twenty years later, a grown Cindy (Krystle Martin) swears she will avenge her late mother and sets out on a hunt for the creature. She lures him with Christmas decorations that lead to him going on a murderous spree all over town, forcing Cindy to come to terms with the price everyone has to pay for her revenge.
Is It Any Good?
Don't bother. The trickiest thing about a parody is that it has to both poke fun and pay tribute to the piece it's based on -- imitation working as both flattery and subversion. In The Mean One, director Steven LaMorte takes on How the Grinch Stole Christmas, one of the most beloved holiday tales, which itself was a darkly comedic take on capitalism, as Dr. Seuss pointed out the true meaning of Christmas had nothing to do with gifts, decorated trees, and fancy dinners. In this unauthorized parody, as the Mean One attempts to steal the decorations in Newville, he accidentally kills Cindy's mother, and Cindy grows up into a Tarantino-esque avenger who vows to find and destroy the monster.
She lures him with Christmas decorations only to realize he's become a full-blown serial killer since their last encounter. The film turns into a cat-and-mouse game with The Mean One wreaking bloody havoc on innocent townspeople as they try to stop him. If LaMorte meant to show us there is also monstrosity in Cindy, his take on Frankenstein lacks subtlety and coherence, but most of all, it's not very entertaining. This is a parody without self-awareness, which prevents it from playing out like the cult movie it wants to be. Worst of all, it fails to illuminate anything Dr. Seuss didn't say so much better and with so much style in his classic book. As usual, the good doctor gets the last laugh.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about parodies and their purpose. What is The Mean One trying to do with Dr. Seuss' classic tale? Does it succeed? Why or why not?
Why do you think the Mean One hates Christmas decorations so much? Could he have solved his issue without hurting others?
The Mean One is called a monster because of the way he looks. How can we be more careful with the names we call others? Have you ever been called something that hurt you?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 9, 2022
- Cast : David Howard Thornton , Krystle Martin , Chase Mullins
- Director : Steven LaMorte
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : XYZ Films
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 29, 2024
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