Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Mean One Blu-ray Movie Review

"You're a mean one, Mr. Copyright Infringement!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 20, 2024

Ho ho hoooo-aaaaahhhhh!!!! When a double feature presents itself, kiddies, particularly a low-rent horror double feature, you grab it by the BDs and you run with it. And so, when 2022's delirium-induced The Mean One and 2005's masterfully punned The GingerDead Man popped up on my list, you better believe I'm gonna take advantage. But who will win? The Grinch, as delivered by Steven LaMorte's grimy, gory low-budget sensibilities? Or Gary Busey, courtesy of a campy Child's Play remix for the ages? My money's always on Busey in a fight -- mama always said you never bet against a Busey -- but I don't know. A heart three sizes too small? Or a maniac three recipes shy of a proper bake-off? Who will take the zany Christmas horror movie trophy home and who will be left drowning in their own tears? Read on!

It's Christmas Eve, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring... except for a green monster dressed as Santa! Having killed young Cindy You-Know-Who's mother in the small town of Newville, a frightening-looking gift-giver (David Howard Thorton) returns twenty years later. Cindy (Krystle Martin) comes home too to visit her father (Flip Kobler) and soon befriends officer Burke Goldman (Chase Mullins), who works for the same sheriff (Erik Baker) who still refuses to believe Cindy's tall-tale explanation for her mother's death when she was a child. When the Grinchian beastie appears and offs her father and steals their Christmas decorations, Cindy begins a hunt for the creature, which she discovers has a connection to a spooky nearby mountain with a curved-hook peak. Bodies pile up -- including those of a bar full of Santa cosplayers -- until Cindy, Burke and a man named Doc Zeuss (John Bigham) team up to take down the Mean One. But will they stop him in time? Or will advesaries like Mayor McBean (Amy Schumacher) stop them from ending the Grinch's reign of terror?

Though it's missing a selection of songs (a musical element would've have really boosted the endeavor), The Mean One delivers a decent smattering of fun, campy laughs, bloody beatdowns and gorily gruesome mistletoe murders. The Grinch makeup is fantastic as well, rivaling even its big screen, Jim Carey predecessor with a face that makes you sit up and pay attention. If looks could kill, despite the photography's hyper-digital sheen, The Mean One would be a true Christmas miracle.

Sadly, the cheese is spread a bit too thickly across too many ideas and not enough callbacks to the Dr. Seuss story or the 1960s How the Grinch Stole Christmas animated television special. The names are there, a few nods, but The Mean One remains more an original take with a furry green antagonist than anything more clever or crafty. More townsfolk would have also led to more kills, more kills would have led to more horror hilarity, and more horror hilarity would have ruled the day in both terms of the comedy and the thrills. It's a noble effort, especially with Martin leading a cast who's clearly in on the joke, but the more serious things get and the less off-kilter they become, the frostier the results grow. By film's end it's all in good fun and in keeping with the spirit of a Christmas horror camp classic, but it doesn't do enough heavy lifting, nor does it emerge from the pack enough to deliver the "classic" we were all hoping for.

The Mean One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bland cinematography and overly digital sheen aside, The Mean One features a 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that dazzles. Colors are bright and punchy, contrast is intentionally hot (to notably stark ends), blood runs vividly red, black levels are inky and primaries pop, particularly when the Grinch comes out to play. Erm, kill. Detail is exacting too, with razor-wire edge definition, plenty of revealing fine textures and decent delineation. Crush is a distraction, though it's clearly the result of the photography, and the encode is a touch tight at times, with small instances of blocking and banding infrequently flittering into view. Nothing too disastrous, mind you. Just enough to hold The Mean One back from presentation perfection.

The Mean One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Mean One offers a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that, aside from some small missteps, largely delivers the goods. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible at all times and prioritization is spot on. A few lines ring slightly hollow, but faulty recording setups seem to be the culprit. Likewise, rear speaker activity is festive and fun, though directionality isn't always as precise as one might hope. LFE output is beefy and weighty, thankfully, lending welcome presence to the Grinch when he arrives, and the film's score is a blast when the music rips into the soundscape.

The Mean One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - Director Steven LaMorte and producer Amy Schumacher

• Christmas Chaos (HD, 46 minutes) - A rather beefy behind-the-scenes production documentary that explores all aspects of The Mean One's making. Honestly, listening to tales of the filmmakers and actors scraping low to come up with more and more holiday silliness helps make the movie more fun.

• Deleted Scenes (HD, 3 minutes) - Three scenes are included.

• Trailer (HD, minutes)

The Mean One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

So who wins the double feature showdown? The Mean One, by a mile. Not only is the film bigger and better (flaws aside), the Blu-ray release boasts better video and audio quality, more extras, and more altogether more holiday fun. The fur really is greener on the other side.