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Tomcat [ 2.0 ]
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I hate it when you watch a movie and are acpecting to laugh because everybody told you how funny it was. That is what it was like with Elf. Unfunny, and lost my intrest after the first twenty minutes. Will Farrell is a funny guy don't get me wrong but I don't think he can carry a movie for 90 mins plus.
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Dancing_P [ 7.0 ]
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I suppose I'm the only one to blame for being surprised that this movie turns schmaltzy by the end; after all, it IS a PG-rated Christmas movie. Even if it DOES have Will Ferrell. He plays Buddy, who as a baby snuck into Santa Claus' (Ed Asner) bag and followed him to the North Pole. After much rumination, Santa decides to keep Buddy and raise him as an elf under the parenting of Papa Elf (Bob Newhart). When Buddy grows old enough to begin working, however, he begins to suspect that perhaps he is not an elf (the fact that he's 6'3' seems to have escaped him). Papa Elf then reveals to him that he's a human; his real father is a children's book publisher named Walter Hobbs (James Caan) who lives in New York. Buddy sets off for the big city to meet his father but finds out that life in the real world is not quite like the North Pole. So, yes, it's a fairly hoary concept, but director Jon Favreau and (especially) Ferrell make it work. As trite as it is to say this, Ferrell really makes us believe in a 30-year-old man wearing an elf costume. That his performance is good (and funny) is not surprising; that we don't doubt for a second anything the character does is. Ferrell's wide-eyed innocence makes for some very funny scenes, but most importantly the film never patronizes Buddy. Caan is solid as the father, but it's the lovely Zooey Deschanel (as a elf-dressed Gimbels' employee who strikes Buddy's fancy) who impresses most in the supporting cast. (Andy Richter, Kyle Gass and Peter Dinklage also cameo as children's authors.) This being a Christmas movie and all, it does take a familiar and predictable route by the third act but, frankly, it's to be expected. Expect this to become a Christmas staple in a few years.
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chapter11 [ 8.0 ]
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You know, if it weren't for those schmaltzy last 20 minutes or so, I'd have no problem slapping "Elf" with a hearty 9.5 or something and prematurely procaliming it a "new holiday classic!!" .. as is, I enjoyed it so immensely I'm wondering if I'm rating it a little too low. Ferrell's devotion to the material and his infectious big-child schtick is remarkable. I've tried to avoid it for so long, but I think I'm simply a Will Ferrell fan, and there's nothing I can do about it, and I should just gather up my copies of "Old School" and "Elf" and "Anchorman" like a big boy and accept it. Other things I loved: Bob Newhart as a loving, diminutive elfen patriarch, James Caan as the requisite crotchety businessman with a heart of gold, Zooey Deschanel looking far too cute for words, Jovie and Buddy dueting on "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Faizon Love's flustered, Bernie Mac-esque shtick as a toy department manager, ED ASNER AS SANTA CLAUS!, Buddy leaping onto the Christmas tree .. there is far too much that I love about this film to give it anything lower. The worst I can say about it is that if Will Ferrell truly pisses you off, move along. There's nothing for you to see here.
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scottwblack [ 4.5 ]
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Relatively unfunny Christmas comedy featuring Will Ferrell flailing wildly and making silly noises as a human-sized elf. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then by all means. Zooey Deschanel lovers might also be interested in the proceedings.
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jeff_v [ 6.0 ]
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Elf works due to the sustained insanity of Will Ferrell, whose genius is that he takes the premise completely seriously and never winks at the audience. There aren't as many laughs as there ought to be, and the ending is pretty darned soggy, but you have to admire Ferrell's commitment.
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| Weighted Rating | : 6.3 |
| No. Ratings | : 17 | |
| No. Reviews | : 7 | |
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