| Elf is genuinely good. Not just Saturday Night Live-movie good, when the movie has some funny bits but is basically an insult to humanity; Elf is a smartly written, skillfully directed, and deftly acted story of a human being adopted by Christmas elves who returns to the human world to find his father. And because the writing, directing, and acting are all genuinely good, Elf is also genuinely funny. Will Ferrell, as Buddy the adopted elf, is hysterically sincere. James Caan, as his rediscovered father, executes his surly dumbfoundedness with perfect aplomb. Zooey Deschanel, as a department store worker with whom Buddy falls in love, is adorably sardonic. Director Jon Favreau (Swingers) shepherds the movie through all the obligatory Christmas cliches and focuses on material that's sometimes subtle and consistently surprising. Frankly, Elf feels miraculous. Also featuring Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Ed Asner as Santa Claus. --Bret Fetzer
Stills from Elf (click for larger image)
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 Elf-tastic... |
| Review Date: July 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Andrew Ellington, I'm kind of everywhere |
I don't do Christmas. I've mentioned that before, but then again some people may not have taken me too seriously (I find the concept to be self-centered and manufactured). That said, some may balk at me gushing over a Christmas movie, but I like what I like and this movie deserves my attention. Talk about a movie that defies expectations. Looking at the trailer for this film or glancing at the DVD cover and you'd think it's going to be `stupid funny' so when the film winds up displaying genuine sincerity with every laugh you find yourself scratching your hear in disbelief.
This film has serious heart.
The film tells the story of Buddy, a human who was adopted by Christmas elves when he was a baby and raised to believe that he too was an elf. He made for a rather clumsy elf, being that he is kind of gigantic, and so he was eventually told the truth about his origin and sent off to the real world to find his human parents. He does find his father, but that doesn't go over very well (especially since Buddy is so genuine in his overall naivety that he comes across like a complete nut-job).
Sure, there is that whole `Christmas spirit' mumbo-jumbo that is so beautiful in context yet so inaccurate in application, but it works marvelously in this family centric film that nails nearly every mark it attempts to hit.
This film just has `it'.
In fact, this film has heaps of `it' in the form of Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen and Zooey Deschanel. I mean, really...what a marvelous cast. Ferrell is just effortless and so wonderfully delightful as Buddy. He captures the tone of this character with ease and delivers a performance we will remember and adore. James Caan handles a stereotype with gusto, and Bob Newhart is just so huggable as Papa Elf. I've always had a soft spot for Steenburgen, even when she hasn't deserved it, and Zooey Deschanel should be in EVERY movie.
If you want a smart, witty, charming family film that will defy odds and really deliver than this is the one for you, whether you engage in the traditions that come from this over-hyped holiday or not. |
A holiday holiday
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| Review Date: June 26, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Brent Butler, North Carolina |
"Elf" was yet another Will Ferrel film that I thought from previews was just going to be silly and stupid.
I've learned by now to get over my prejudices going into "Silly and Stupid" Will Ferrel films. They almost all are that. But somehow they are also funny, and tell stories with more depth than I would ever have imagined. By the way, the same phenomena happens with me regarding Adam Sandler movies. I always think they sound horrible, and I always have far more than my average share of laughs for a comedy.
In Elf, its unimaginable that an actor of Ferrel's age can bring off the complete naivety required for a human raised at the North Pole who enters American society as an adult. Yet he brings it off the same way be brings off all of his unlikely sounding roles.
Of course, in the process the people he interacts with learn that a little naivety and purity of heart can be a good thing. Yes, there is both slapstick and (mild) gross out comedy, but overall this is a quite entertaining movie, and a suitable Christmas comedy for kids and parents to watch together. |
Just as ordered
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| Review Date: May 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Kaycey M. Bowser, |
| I was pleased with how quick this order came in. It was brand spankin new, and exactly what I wanted. |
Tolerable... Just Tolerable
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| Review Date: April 25, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Elly Johnson, |
| No, the movie was not completely unbearable as many of his other movies are. Some parts were even cute. However, it still lacked real wit, real talent. I don't see how it could appeal to anyone over 15. |
funny!
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| Review Date: March 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: T. Peters, |
| I'm not really a Will Ferrel fan, but I liked this movie! It doesn't have the typical Will Ferrel stuff in it, but he was still funny. Its one of those stories where the character is out of place, which are always funny. |
fun for laughs with the family: bring the hot choclate and popcorn
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| Review Date: March 13, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Tosha Robertson, chicago |
| my husband taking the family to see this movie when it first came to the theathers. Our oldest child remember the movie and laughed with her dad so they both had headaches afterwards. years later an friend gave me the movie as present and it became one of our Hoilday movies to see during Christmas Vacation. Fun for laughs with the family. |
Elf Movie
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| Review Date: February 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Tracy P., Denver, CO |
| We really enjoyed this movie, and it cam within a reasonable period of time and was in the condition promised. |
elf
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| Review Date: February 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Andrea Iliana Rojas-Olmos, California |
| One if the most hilarious movies I've ever seen. The whole family can watch it. |
One of the best holiday movies ever
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| Review Date: February 7, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jr, USA |
| This is one of the better holiday movies put together. Up there with a Christmas story. Something that needs to be watched every year. I know him! I know him! |
good dvds
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| Review Date: February 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: time bandit kid, Inglewood, Ca, USA |
I received the dvds in a timely manner. Some of the holders innside the plastic dvd holders were broken, which means the dvds were being thrown around during shipping.
One dvd had a bad scratch on it. |
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