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Written by Mandroid3000
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ELF
***1/2 out of *****
Genres
2003
Directed by
Jon Favreau
Written by
David Berenbaum
Cast
Will Ferrell .... Buddy
James Caan .... Walter
Bob Newhart .... Papa Elf
Edward Asner .... Santa
Mary Steenburgen .... Emily
Zooey Deschanel .... Jovie
Daniel Tay .... Michael
Faizon Love .... Gimbel's Manager
Peter Dinklage .... Miles Finch
Amy Sedaris .... Deb
Michael Lerner .... Fulton
Andy Richter .... Morris
Kyle Gass .... Eugene
You know that feeling you get when you see a really lame movie poster. It could be a remake of a classic film starring Gwyneth Paltrow in place of Grace Kelly, or Keanu Reeves as a serial killing gynaecologist, or perhaps Will Ferrell dressed as a Christmas Elf. I thought the posters for Elf looked lame and was perfectly happy to skip it until I started seeing good reviews. After seeing it I’d say that a prudent person who would skip Paltrow and Reeves, would be wise to add Elf to their Christmas viewing list.
Will Ferrel plays Buddy who, as an orphan, climbed into Santa’s sack one Christmas and ends up in the North Pole. They Elves didn’t want to send him back, so raise him as an one of their own. But now he’s grown to three times their size and, despite his superhuman amount of Christmas spirit, is bad at all the things Elves are good at. Eventually he discovers the truth about his origins and heads off to New York to find his real father and his place in the world.
The opening is a little weak, but the movies hits its stride in New York (this may be because it takes about this long to break down a sceptical person’s defences). Needless to say a person raised by a Elves and with a hyper-abundance of Christmas spirit will have trouble fitting into NY. Elf wisely eschews old standard subplots (such as being taken advantage of by crooks), and lets Buddy loose.
Buddy takes a job in the Christmas section of a department store. He’s not on the payroll, everyone just assumes he works there. He meets his love interest, fellow-employee, Jovie who has no outward Christmas spirit, but maybe more than a little hidden away. Buddy also manages to track down his father, played by the gruff James Caan, who is obviously mystified by his long-lost son. He thinks he has a mental problem and takes him to the doctor who convinces him he just needs parental attention. Buddy moves in to his apartment, but causes so much damage Walter has to take him to work with him. And of course he causes havoc there too.
In New York Elf becomes a genuine comedy, not just a Christmas movie. And there are great appearances by Kyle Gass, Andy Richter, and Peter Dinklage. Which makes it a real shame when it reverts to Christmas movie mode at the end. It wheezes through an action set piece about Santa’s sled crashing in Central Park and Santa being stalked by the Park Rangers. The sled’s engine is bust, and its alternate fuel source, Christmas Spirit, is too low for it to take off. So of course something magical has to happen to restore the faith in Christmas.
Still, despite some schmaltz Elf is entertaining and genuinely funny. And it’s a funny that doesn’t come from belittling the characters. Buddy is so out there that anyone who thinks he’s crazy is perfectly rational, not a grinch. And Will Ferrell succeeds at making Buddy wacky, likeable, and lame, not just a crazy freak. Maybe not something to watch year round, but definitely beats end of year TV specials.
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