Will Ferrell Creates Iconic Christmas Character

Rating: 7/10 (27 February 2017)

Like most people around the holidays, I'm usually up for a watching (or re-watching) of the great holiday classics ("Wonderful Life", "Home Alone", etc.). For whatever reason, however, it took me until 2016 to actually sit down and watch "Elf" all the way through. While maybe not jumping up to the top of my "all-time Christmas list", I did find Elf to be an enjoyable romp.
For a basic plot summary, this movie tells the story of Buddy (Ferrell), a human boy raised in the North Pole due to a mix-up with Santa Claus (Ed Asner). For most of his life, Buddy believes he is an actual elf, until realizing his shortcomings in that community. As such, he decides to strike out for the "human world" in order to find his real father (James Caan). Along the way, Buddy (as a result of his endearing cheerfulness) brings a bit of Christmas spirit to all those around him that are in dire need of it, including a young retail worker named Jovie (Zooey Deschanel).
To me, "Elf" is primarily a success because of the iconic character that Ferrell creates. The script/plot itself is about as irrelevant and corny as they come, but Ferrell's quirky energy steals every single scene. Quotes like "You sit on a throne of lies", "Bye buddy, hope you find your Dad!", and "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" will forever be burned into my memory! I don't think there is an actor out there who could have played Buddy as perfectly as Ferrell.
Simply put, I'm glad I finally sat down and watched "Elf" from beginning to end. I don't know if it will get watched religiously every Christmas in my home (time will tell on that one...but maybe it will grow on me even more!), but I can tell you that I will be quoting it going forward!