Elf - A Movie Review

I wonder if we’ll see Buddy the Elf singing Christmas songs while walking around New York today.

Elf was released into theaters in 2003. A human baby is raised as an elf in the North Pole. Realizing who he is, Buddy seeks out his true family. Finding his real father, the reunion is not happy and exciting like Buddy had expected. Buddy brings Christmas to life in the city of New York with his joyful and crazy antics.

Elf is one of the best holiday movies! I always get excited when I see that Elf will be on TV. The whole movie is a fun and joyful Christmas experience for the whole family to sit down and have a laugh. From the moment it starts, Elf captures you into the Christmas spirit making you laugh and warms your heart.

Will Ferrell masters Buddy the Elf! He spawns a genuine man-child behavior enthusiastically jumping about excited about Santa, creating decorations, and eating as much sugary junk food as he pleased. Ferrell even admitted to getting headaches because of how many sweets he ate!

I have no idea what this movie would be without Will Ferrell. The filmmakers actually had Ferrell wandering about New York doing crazy antics. He embraced his part of Buddy the Elf, smiling one of the brightest smiles. Although sometimes his character came off as annoying, Buddy is one of the best characters to gain the Christmas spirit.

Walter Hobbs is portrayed as one of the nastiest people in the publishing business. Cann’s delivery, especially his irritated reactions to Buddy’s antics were the best part of the movie. His development at the end of the movie to me felt rushed, but he learned about himself and fixed the relationships that were important to him.

The ensemble of Elf did a wonderful job each learning something about themselves to gain better wisdom about Christmas. They establish their characters very well.

Bob Newhart is endearing as Papa Elf. I also enjoyed performances from Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, Daniel Tay, and even the beloved Edward Asner as Santa Claus. Look out for a memorable appearance by Peter Dinklage and even a cameo by Peter Billingsly as one of the elves in the North Pole.

Some of the relationships that Buddy makes feel that way, and even a little forced. However, I do like the bond that Buddy and Michael share as half-brothers. I like how they ran through the mall jumping on all the beds before cutting down a gigantic Christmas tree to put in their small apartment.

The scene where all the residents of New York City sing a festive Christmas song is one of my favorite scenes. Zooey Deschanel shows off her amazing singing voice gaining Christmas spirit. I always smile and I like to sing along. Every scene is memorable and the lines become stuck in your head to the point that you’re repeating one of your favorite lines.

Elf is a movie of its own. It knows that it is a quirky film. Director Jon Favreau established the humor, unique setting, and a Christmas tale that nobody will ever forget. It doesn’t matter how many times I have seen this movie. I know that I am always going to have a laugh when Buddy goes crazy hearing about Santa.

Elf is a refreshing film to watch and makes you smile. It’s well-written. At times the humor goes a little too far. Aside from that, this is one of my favorite Will Ferrell movies and I believe that many fans can agree. If you have not seen this movie, find it now. You won’t regret catching this heartwarming story.