Uninspired. Ferrell is not charismatic enough to successfully play adult adolescent

Rating: Null/10 (1 January 2004)

This movie has its fans. The ones who have already seen it several times and yell "Yes" at every inside, supposedly cool line in the movie. They are more annoying than the movie itself, but not by much. A comedy is supposed to make you laugh hard, not just smile occasionally. I remember several years ago, some geeks in my "Dumb and Dumber" audience not liking or getting that movie, an imperfect one admittedly, but one that had me laughing so hard at times that my stomach hurt. 'Will play every Christmas'? I hope not. Mainly for geeks and people without strong senses of humor, in my opinion. I have been wrong with some comedies before, having seen some in a bad mood--as I did this one--and sold them short initially ("Meet the Parents", for example, which I saw in a unpleasureable setting on rental, not in the theater, and did not initially like. While it is not as good as 1980's "The In-Laws", it is very good, which I discovered on repeat viewing). Still, it seemed that every time I tried to get into "Elf", I was left unrewarded. As for the dorks sitting behind me yelling "Yes" and anticipating their favorite lines, it took everything I had not to jump over the seat and pummel them.