While delivering some emotional satisfaction, the third Grinch film adaptation, produced by Illumination Entertainment and aptly named “The Grinch,” brings nothing new to the table and is only for children who have not seen previous versions of the green guy’s tale.

As always, the grumpy green Grinch (voiced by a nasal-sounding Benedict Cumberbatch) hates Christmas and decides to steal it. The only diversion from the normal story is that Cindy-Lou Who (voice talent from Cameron Seely) and her mother, Donna Who (the voice of Rashida Jones), play much stronger roles in the story. Donna is now the stereotypical single mother and Cindy wants to do whatever she can to help. This subplot includes Cindy-Lou’s friends and siblings, but they contribute nothing to the overall story.

While it is an interesting twist on the story, it spends too much time trying and failing to develop Cindy-Lou, when that time could have either been well spent on the Grinch or had less humorous filler to make room for the actual story.

Illumination Entertainment is largely to blame here. After their successful “Despicable Me” in 2010, Illumination became lazier in their writing, pandering more toward children rather than making a touching story that all generations can appreciate.

Unfortunately, this lazy writing also seeps into the Grinch’s side of the story. With audience’s hands held by a useless narrator, Cumberbatch’s character heads out on a story more superficial than any Grinch’s before him by only providing a reason for character development near the end of the runtime.

It’s not the Grinch you’ll want to see, but it’s not like we needed this remake anyway.