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Elf (2003)

Director: Jon Favreau

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Comedy legend Bob Newhart immediately raises a smile as the elderly elf framing the story of Santa's biggest little helper. Buddy (Ferrell) is different because he's a human, brought back to the North Pole as a baby when he strayed into the old boy's sack during the Christmas run. He's been raised in the traditional elfin ways of industrious good humour, but now it's time for him to venture to distant New York and discover his real father is a grumpy publisher (Caan), who naturally thinks his 'son' is a dangerous loony. Must be the tights and the pointy hat. What follows is a fairly predictable 'fish out of water' romp with seasonal bells on. Nevertheless, Favreau delivers the cornball sentiments with an adept balance of irony and sincerity, sprinkling felicities in the margins - cult crooner Leon Redbone voicing a stop-motion snowman, indie fave Zooey Deschanel as the department store helper giving Ferrell understandable tingles, and a particularly successful running gag enshrining the significance of etch-a-sketch in elf culture. Some humour might sail over the heads of the very young, but there's a higher chuckle rate for the grown-ups than much dread 'family' fare.

Author: TJ 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • Frank R. said...
    Posted on Sep 28 2007 03:04 What a topsy-turvy site I have stumbled upon. Several films I like are dismissed, while this one which made me cringe gets a passable review! Oh well, to each his own. Just thought I'd add a dissenting opinion on this film in which James Caan's exasperated facial expressions may not in fact be part of his performance! I, for one, tired of seeing a grown man act like a child well before the halfway point of the movie. The gags or funny bits of dialogue which worked were few and far between. And the fact that Deschanel looks young enough to be her leading manchild's daughter did not help. It is suspicious to me that many FEMALE-driven comedies are not given the pass that films like this (including many Jim Carrey comedies) are given time after time--by both critics and audiences. Well, not this time.
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Cast & crew

Director: Jon Favreau

Producer: Jon Berg, Todd Komarnicki, Shauna Robertson

Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay, Edward Asner, Bob Newhart, Faizon Love, Peter Dinklage, Amy Sedaris, Michael Lerner, John Favreau full cast

Duration: 110 mins

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