Will Ferrell Anchors Modern Christmas Fable

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2014)

"Elf" is a Christmas-themed comedy starring Will Ferrell. Ferrell plays Buddy, a human who, as a baby, accidentally crawled into Santa Claus' (Ed Asner) toy sack and upon discovery is adopted by an elf (Bob Newhart, playing a version of his harried TV personas).
One fateful day, Buddy is told the truth of his parentage, and decides to travel to New York City to find his real father. While Buddy's biological mom is deceased, it turns out Buddy's biological father is Walter, a high-ranking editor at a book publishing firm. Walter has since married and has a preteen son. He's totally incredulous and annoyed at this goofy, grown man claiming to be his son. After several hijinks, Walter grudgingly accepts that Buddy is the real deal, but that doesn't make life with him any easier.
Buddy's undaunted Christmas-minded mentality makes him an annoyance to most around him. He finds work at a department store where he falls in love with a coworker (Zooey Deschanel). Buddy's quest leads to several funny sequences as he gets to know his dad and the various people around him.
Director Jon Favreau ("Iron Man", "Swingers") lets Ferrell do his shtick but the narrative is held together very well. Some of the actors are mild caricatures but they manage not to overdo it, since virtually everyone is playing it straight compared to Ferrell's Buddy. Ferell plays Buddy as a man-child who is relentlessly positive, despite all the grumpiness that he encounters in the Big City. Look for amusing supporting parts by Faizon Love, Peter Dinklage, Artie Lange and Andy Richter.
Since the film has no real villain, it allows the relationships to be developed without an arbitrary "bad guy" foil to overcome by the end. In an era where original Christmas holiday films are frequently run of the mill, "Elf" stands out as a charmer. It's endearing without being overly saccharine.