Visually impressive, this adaptation of a classic children's book and television special is a depressing example of how marketing can manage to make a hit out of a turgid work that's more a feature-length display of canny design in makeup, costumes, and sets than a compelling yarn. Jim Carrey is at his energetic, engaged peak as the green-haired grouse of the title, and it's a good thing for the film that his effervescence shines through his onscreen uniform, as the star is virtually unrecognizable under mounds of prosthetics and fakery. While the technical aspects of The Grinch are impressive (the sets, a combination of traditional construction and computer-generated images, are a particular standout), the story is weak, and padded with mindless chatter and visual fluff. Subplots involving a cruel mayor (Jeffrey Tambor) and the Grinch's former flame (Christine Baranski) are a drag on the film's running time, and the tale fails to register emotionally. Director Ron Howard, who cast several of his family members in the film and dedicated it to his late mother, seems constrained by the film's studio-bound limitations. What results is his most hemmed-in, calculated effort to date, despite the film's conquest of the annual box-office tallies.