Elf (2003)

Director: Jon Favreau

Writer: David Berenbaum

Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, Peter Dinklage

Story Buddy the elf (Ferrell) leaves in the North Pole with all the other Elves and Santa (Asner). Buddy’s father Papa Elf (Newhart) has to break the news to him that he was adopted and even worse his real father is on the naughty list. Buddy has to travel down to New York City to find his real father Walter (Caan). Walter works for a publishing company that is struggling to find a book in time for Christmas. Walter has been putting his work before his family wife Emily (Steenburgen) and son Michael (Tay).

Walter thinks Buddy has come from a mental home and sends him off to a store to work as one of the Elves in a Christmas department. In the store Buddy meets the beautiful Joyie (Deschanel) but things soon go wrong in the store and Buddy needs to be bailed out by his father.

Walter

Can Buddy turn his anti Christmas father into a more jolly festive man and get him off the naughty list before Christmas?

Verdict In a world where there are way too many rubbish Christmas movie this one stands out as one of the best in the recent generation. The perfect amount of Christmas songs to keep the festive feeling going all the way through. Told in a fairy tale style, which gives it more Christmas magic. All actors give great performances. Over all this family festive film is top of its class that everyone will enjoy all year round. Just sit back and get into the Christmas spirit.

Joyie

Story Mark 9/10 Great story on a very simple level comes of to great effect.

Comedy Mark 9/10 The comedy flows at the right level to make it very funny without it being too silly comedy.

Star Performances Will Ferrell – perfect fit for the role shows how good he can be without having to do over the top silly slapstick with a simple minded master class. One of his best performances too date.

Buddy in the North Pole

Favourite Character Buddy – has a great way of making everything so simple in life without ever wanting to make an enemy.

Best Part When Miles Finch (Dinklage) comes to pitch ideas about a book and Buddy thinks he is also an Elf who left the North Pole.

Miles Finch

Worst Part There isn’t really one

Best Quote After being dared to call Miles an Elf again Buddy goes ‘He’s an angry Elf’ in his naive voice.

Fun Trivia Will Ferrell caused several minor traffic accidents when walking through the Lincoln Tunnel in his costume because people were so surprised to see him wearing an elf outfit. 

Buddy and Santa

Similar Too - Muppet’s Christmas Carol.

My Rating 90%

Trailer