Elf (2003) Rated: PG for some mild rude humor and language. Runtime: 95 mins. Director: Jon Favreau Writer: David Berenbaum Cast: Will Ferrell; James Caan; Edward Asner; Mary Steenburgen....complete cast Genre: Comedy/Family
Tagline: This Holiday, Discover Yourself. Memorable Quote: "You're a cotton headed ninny muggins"
Reel commentary: ...Were it not for the hilarity of Ferrell's kid-trapped-in-an-adult-body antics, this thing would drift off into Holiday release obscurity, as did 2002's The Santa Clause2. .......full review
by Frank Wilkins Will Ferrell gets a chance to shine in a role tailor-made for his brand of anything-for-a-laugh humor. It's not enough to give him credit for spending three-fourths of his screen time in a humiliatingly goofy pair of yellow tights, a green elfin jacket and curly-toed shoes. One must also realize that all of Elf's success rests squarely on his big green flannel-clad shoulders.
Although the plot is a bit thin and predictably unoriginal, its significance of serving as a thespian playground for Ferrell to display his slapstick brand of oafish shenanigans mustn't be overlooked. Ferrell plays Buddy, an orphaned baby who, after stowing away in the toy bag of an inattentive Santa played by Ed Asner, isn't noticed until they return to the North Pole. There he is raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), who unsuccessfully teaches him the skills necessary to become a contributing member to the Big Guy's workshop crew. In addition to towering over his 3-foot tall colleagues, Buddy also fails to maintain his quota of assembled Etch-a-Sketches, thereby prompting his transfer to the toy-testing department, which is better suited for the "special" elves.
That clichéd script pops back up again as Buddy soon discovers that he is not actually an elf, but rather a human with a father (James Caan) living in New York City with his second wife (Mary Steenburgen) and their son (Daniel Tay). Predictably, Buddy goes to New York, finds his father and, following in the footsteps of many holiday classic features, Buddy teaches his father that everyone has Christmas spirit, some just need help discovering it.
Director Jon Favreau does a good job of pacing David Berenbaum's script. He's continually aware of the age and subsequent attention span of his audience, so he constantly mixes in an abundance of funny sight gags (including elfin flatulence), and plenty of "bumpkin in the big city" humor. Much like Tom Hanks in Big, most of Ferrell's success comes from his childish innocence and ignorant honesty.
James Caan is well cast in his role as the surly workaholic father who can't seem to find time for his son. He is very convincing as a children's book publisher who would rather make a fast buck than spend time to get to know his newly discovered son.
The love story between Buddy and Jovie, a Gimbel's Departent Store worker played by the waifish Zooey Deschanel was a pleasant surprise and could have used a bit more development. An especially charming and quite funny scene involved Buddy learning the ins-and-outs of asking a girl for a date from his stepbrother, Michael.
I know Elf is for the kids and the story is truthfully quite stupid, but as it is, Elf is a pleasantly charming surprise fueled by an elf's diet of Spaghetti, chocolate pop-tarts and maple syrup. Were it not for the hilarity of Ferrell's kid-trapped-in-an-adult-body antics, this thing would drift off into Holiday release obscurity, as did 2002's The Santa Clause2.
Language and Sound: English: Dolby Digital 5.1; English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; director's commentary; deleted scenes; additional footage; interactive features; DVD-Rom features; cast and crew interview; featurettes.
InfiniFilm - New Line Cinema feature that allows the viewer to access additional information on selected scenes as the movie plays.
Commentaries:
With director Jon Favreau.
With Will Farrell
Deleted Scenes:
8 deleted/alternate with optional commentary including The Hockey Game: that was originally at the beginning of the film. Was deleted for violence and run-time purposes.
Documentary - Making of: Can be viewed whole for approximately an hour, or can be watched in smaller chapters. Is very Farrell'centric' as it is a day in the life of Will Farrell type documentary.
"Beyond the Movie" Featurettes:
Kids on Christmas - Features interviews with kids on their thoughts about Christmas.
Santa Mania - Features many of the people and companies that are involved in the Santa trade.
Deck the Halls - Features a town that is way to into decorating.
Christmas in Tinseltown - Takes a look at Christmas in Hollywood and surrounding areas.
All Access:
Music from Elf - Director Jon Favreau discusses some of the music used in the film.
Special Announcements - Includes promo trailers for Polar Express, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Secondhand Lions.
Buddies Adventure Included on disc 2 is Buddy's Adventure that contains the following games:
Snowball Fight
The Race for Mt. Icing
Elf in the City
Fix Santa's Sleigh
Complete all four games and you'll unlock the Secret Elevator O' Fun the bonus fifth game.
Elf Karaoke - Contains three Christmas songs to sing while you read the words.
DVD-Rom Feature - Includes printable activities for the kids including a Christmas activity book, a photo gallery. A photo manipulation feature and script comparison feature.
Elf (2003)
