A Big Comedy About A Little Character!!!

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2014)

Basically, director Jon Favreau's goofy but entertaining Christmas comedy "Elf" is a 'fish-out-of-water' saga, and David Berenbaum's screenplay relies heavily on incongruity. Visually, "Elf" is a delightful little movie with interesting characters. The North Pole set and the costumes that the elves wear are colorful.
"Elf" concerns an infant up for adoption at an orphanage who crawls into Santa Claus' gift bag during Christmas and winds up at the North Pole. As it turns out, he is raised as one of the elves, specifically Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), who serves as the narrator. At six feet, three inches, Buddy (Will Ferrell) cannot do anything right as an elf. Ironically, Buddy has no idea that he isn't an elf. The revelation that he is not an elf staggers him. One day he is shown a picture of his mother and father. Tragically, Buddy's mother died without informing his father Walter Hobbs (James Caan of "The Godfather") that he had sired him. Buddy sets out from the North Pole and walks on foot to Manhattan where he finally comes face-to-face with Walter. Walter is married, has a teenage son, and works at a book publishing firm. Reluctantly, Walter takes Buddy into his house and disasters galore ensue. Briefly, Buddy holds a job at Gimbels' Department Store in the toy department. When he assaults a man masquerading as Santa Claus, Buddy lands in jail and Walter bails him out. Eventually, after exasperating Walter continually with his adolescent antics, Buddy leaves and is standing on a bridge surveying the river when Santa Claus (Ed Asner) streaks overhead in his sleight with his reindeer. Something goes wrong and Santa has to crash land. Naturally, Buddy heads to his rescue.
Light, frivolous nonsense from start to finish, "Elf" qualifies as scintillating comedy with Ferrell having a field day as the tallest elf on record. This is Ferrell at his finest in an emerald jacket and golden tights. Mind you, the former "Saturday Night Live" comedian is an acquired taste. He behaves like an imbecile and he stoops to conqueror with lowest common denominator humor. James Caan is appropriately harried as his selfish father, and Oscar winning actress Mary Steenburgen plays Walter's wife Emily, while Zooey Deschanel is cast as Jovie, Buddy's love interest. "Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage appears in an amusing small part as a children's book writer.