I went to see "Elf" with four of my friends. After the credits rolled, they immediately hassled me about how many stars I would give it in my review. I thought for a moment, then told them I was giving it three stars. All four of them began yelling at me: "Three stars!But that movie was fabulous! I will never speak to you again if you only give it three stars!"
I suppose I have lost four of my best friends now, because I am sticking by my decision. "Elf" is a three-star movie. It is a film that is entertaining only because it's star, Will Ferrell, carries it every step of the way.
"Elf" tells the story of Buddy, a human baby who crawls into Santa's bag in an orphanage one Christmas Eve. When Santa discovers him later at the North Pole, he decides to raise him as an elf. He gives Buddy to Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) to bring up.
The scenes that chronicle Buddy's life at the North Pole are hilarious. With a little help from trick cinematography, Ferrell appears to be several times larger than his elf friends. Ferrell's talent for physical comedy is at its best as he squeezes into elf-size chairs and bathrooms and when he tries to sit on a tiny Bob Newhart's lap.
When Papa Elf finally decides to tell his adopted son the truth about his origin, Buddy decides to go to New York City to find his biological father. His father, Walter (James Caan), is a heartless children's book publisher who spends all of his time working and ignoring his wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and son Michael (Daniel Tay, "American Splendor"). Walter by no means wants to take Buddy in, but Emily insists that he can't turn someone so sweet and obviously mentally unstable out onto the street.
You can guess what happens from this point on. No one believes that Buddy is actually an elf. No one, that is, except the young children who still believe in Santa and carry on the Christmas spirit. Everyone else thinks he is insane.
Buddy, while waiting for Santa at a department store, falls in love with Jovie. Jovie (Zooey Deschanel, "Almost Famous") is working through the holidays dressed as an elf in the department store, and Buddy immediately falls for someone who "has the same affinity for elf culture" as he does.
I won't give away the ending of the movie, although I promise that it will not surprise you. This movie's basic plot follows the same formula that most Christmas films do.
Now comes the time to praise Will Ferrell. I don't think I have enough room left in this review to truly do him justice, but I'll try. Ferrell is absolutely amazing in this film. He will make you laugh so hard you'll cry. He stays perfectly in character the entire time, and his performance absolutely shines. Ferrell is what makes this film, without a doubt. Without him, I would call this movie a flop. This is why I must only give it three stars...yes, I laughed throughout the entire movie, but it wasn't because of the movie itself. It was because of Ferrell. Ferrell makes Buddy's wide-eyed innocence and curiosity seem genuine, and he never misses a beat.
The supporting actors are good, but they can't pull off the movie's sometimes-trite dialogue and cheesy plot as smoothly as Ferrell. James Caan is, of course, a very experience and talented actor, but his character seems a little flat; one minute he is Ebenezer Scrooge and the next he's the Father of the Year and the Spirit of Christmas all rolled into one. The quick change is a little difficult to believe. Zooey Deschanel is, as usual, gorgeous, and serves as a cute touch as Ferrell's love interest.
Go see this movie. It will make you laugh, I assure you. Ever since I left the theater I've been using key quotes whenever they seem appropriate (which, believe me, is all the time). You will leave the theater happy and ready for Christmas.
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