Elf

A man raised as an elf at the North Pole travels to New York City in search of his biological father.

Elf isn’t a perfect movie. It’s got plot holes, underdeveloped characters, and an ending that’s corny even by holiday movie standards, but it’s also got a lot of charm, due in large part to Will Ferrel’s performance.

Ferrel does more than carry the movie, he elevates it out of the holiday film genre and turns it into a truly enjoyable comedy. Along the way he’s helped by an outstanding supporting cast, particularly Bob Newhart who plays Ferrel’s elf father and steals every scene he’s in (although I could see Christopher Walken being good here as well).

Director John Favreau doesn’t seem totally comfortable behind the camera, but does seem to have a great feel for actors and lets his cast shine. His visual references to the stop-motion Christmas specials of the 60s are especially welcome, but this kind of originality seems to taper off once the film moves into the “real world”.