Larger Than Life Miniature.

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2015)

Elf (2003): Dir: Jon Favreau / Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart: The story of little people doing big things, or in this case big people doing even bigger things. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy who crawled into Santa's sack upon his visit to the orphanage. He is raised at the North Pole where cheer and good will are the norm. When he learns that he is human he treks to New York to reunite with his human family. His father works in publishing and sees Buddy as a lunatic. He eventually lands a job in a toy store where a young lady with a winning singing voice catches his heart. Neat concept and funny situations and a conclusion where Buddy obtains the best of both worlds. Directed by Jon Favreau who previously made a very different film called Swingers. This time he aims for a different audience. He is backed by Ferrell with outrageous bursts of enthusiasm in an overgrown elf costume that is appropriately out of place. James Caan makes a great foil as his father. Zooey Deschanel is pleasant but as a female shop worker she is a predictable romantic prop. The biggest disappointment is Mary Steenburgen who is limited as Caan's wife. Bob Newhart narrates the film as Buddy's parental elf, which adds that fable like affect to its presentation. Hilarious Christmas comedy taking the elf theme to new heights. Score: 9 ½ / 10