Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker November 11, 2025

Directed by Ron Howard, the live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic holiday tale returns to 4K UHD disc in the new 'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: 25th Anniversary Edition 4K' courtesy of Universal. The film stars Jim Carrey in the titular role, and he's joined by Christine Baranski ('Cybill'), Jeffrey Tambor ('Hellboy'), and a young Taylor Momsen (of the band The Pretty Reckless). This release features a new thirty-minute on-disc supplemental feature, and a Dolby Atmos audio track to accompany its Dolby Vision enhanced presentation. A Blu-ray disc, an embossed slipcover, and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included.

For a discussion of the feature film, please follow this link.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: 25th Anniversary Edition 4K looks nicely filmic in motion, thanks to a fine layer of grain that resolves naturally throughout. While I don't have the previous 4K edition that hit store shelves eight years ago, after reading my colleague Martin Liebman's review of that disc, I must say that, based on how the film was shot, some of his concerns and issues still hold true here, but improvements are present as well, thanks to the Dolby Vision grade the film has been given. For instance, at the 32-minute mark, as the Grinch stands outside his cave hating the Whos, his green fur descends toward a dull olive drab, and the image softens just enough that textures on the rocky mountain face fade away, and the definition and detail of the Grinch's fur vanish, becoming hazily fuzzy and lacking crispness. Moments later, though, as the scene switches to Whoville, colors are better saturated, with more eye-catching reds, whites, and golds to be found, and better textural presence and definition to ermine trim on the mayor's robe of office, and the furry trim on Cindy Lou Who's cape. The same holds true for the garments of all the denizens of Whoville, with ribbing, fur, and velour elements possessing a pleasing tactile quality. And this is the case more often than not, with a generally improved image on display. The film is still as dark as it's ever been, and while shadows are satisfyingly deep, costuming and set particulars are still visible here. With few exceptions, I was generally pleased with the image depth on display. The overall experience doesn't rise to the level of dazzling eye-candy that would rival the format's best, but the improvements here to such a visually interesting film, even though they are sometimes modest, are appreciated.

Screenshots are sourced from the 4K UHD disc and downscaled to 1080 and are in SDR.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The film's Dolby Atmos track is engagingly immersive. Sometimes, it's simple things like the mayor's voice as he makes announcements to the assembled Whos that echoes through the sound stage, crafting a sense of scale. Other times, it's the wind that whistles around the Grinch as he stands plotting or complaining outside his mountaintop lair. And as the Whos are a happy and social bunch, other times the viewer is placed squarely in the midst of the screaming and cheering throng. Heights are used to great effect here, helping to expand the sense of space in the town square and the desolation and isolation felt by the Grinch. Directionality is on point, important for a madcap production populated with numerous characters and objects that speed through the sound field at varying speeds, directions, and altitudes. Bass is deep and booming when it needs to be, such as the explosion at the 58-minute mark, and it adds pleasing depth to music when the instrumentation calls for it. It's a consistently impressive track.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is one new on-disc supplemental feature included only on the 4K UHD disc, as discussed below.

• NEW! - 25 Years Later: The Gift of THE GRINCH (34.43) - Ron Howard (Director), Brian Grazer (Producer), Rick Baker (Special Makeup Effects), and Taylor Momsen (Cindy Lou Who) appear to talk about the origins of the product, the making of the film and it's themes, the measures taken to help Jim Carrey endure the Grinch costume and makeup, and it's legacy. Their comments play out over a mix of film, clips, rehearsal footage, stills, storyboards, and similar material.

For a look at the legacy features that are carried over here, please follow please follow this link.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: 25th Anniversary Edition 4K has received a noticeable upgrade here. The visual presentation is still a bit uneven, but the film's numerous "good" moments are improved upon here due to richer and more vibrant colors and slightly higher levels of fine detail. Certain scenes still struggle, but the overall impact is lessened. The film's typical darkness is a bit of a limiter, but I believe it looks the best it ever has here. Star Jim Carrey uses all of his comedic gifts to bring the Grinch to life, imbuing him with the expected tireless physicality and, even through the makeup, and endless array facial expressions. His comedy being what it is, his best moments are always the scenes where he has other cast members to react to and generate reactions from. The Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio tracks, in conjunction with the new on-disc extra are reason enough for the film's fans to upgrade to this newest release, and as such, the Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: 25th Anniversary Edition 4K comes recommended.