won't regret it. Treat yourself and watch this "original" movie. Hollywood needs to make more like this.

humor--nobody's too cool for a great Christmas movie. I love most all the movies from Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Will Farrell, Jim Carrey, Chris Farley, Chevy Chase, and David Spade, but most of them aren't appropriate for viewers of all ages. Elf is a movie you can throw in the VCR and not have to worry about what the kids hear or see on it. Thanks, Will, for putting out a hilarious movie that the whole family can watch!

Ninny Muggins", a.k.a. the "touch me not, speak to me not" big city public psyche so familiar that many walk around with.For those that represent the general public in the movie, as well as the audience, Ferrell's character dares us to believe again, even for a moment of the magic of Christmas and tears down decades of political correctness to connect us with the late 60s and 70s when so many annual Holiday shows brought us a seemingly sustained desire to entertain ourselves with the magic that waxes then wanes but for a few short weeks each year. Whether a work of animation or raw theater, this refreshing story brings vitality and rekindles childhood memories for the kid in all of us.

was going to have a coronary, I laughed so long and hard after running the DVD back to watch the same scene about 5 times over!!!!! This is absolutely my favorite all-time comedy! I'm very hard to please when it comes to comedies, seeing most of them as just stupid, but Elf is in a class by itself.

other reviews, most "recent" X-Mas films since about 2000 are Canadian B-movies shot on a budget which would barely cover a reno on THIS OLD HOUSE What an unexpected treat See it

Valentine to Christmas in New York, to mix holidays. While Ed Asner makes me believe that he too thinks that Edmund Glenn really was Santa Claus, it is Will Ferrell's consistent wide-eyed innocence that carries the movie. The product placements do get annoying, but mostly serve the script. Who knows if director Jon Favreau, who also has a cameo role, punched-up debut writer David Berenbaum's script, but it is delightful.Zooey Deschanel is a sweetheart, while James Caan and Mary Steenburgen just pretty much get to reprise their TV roles, in, respectively, "Las Vegas" and "Joan of Arcadia."The visual references to other movies are amusing, from the Disney-like animation at the North Pole to treating the Urban Park Rangers like the Dark Riders from "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."The holiday song selections are mostly classic, though it's nice to hear new Leon Redbone interpretations on two tracks. originally written 1/19/2004

film is full of "Christmas Spirit" that most films never seem to capture. In this film On Christmas Eve in 1973, an orphaned infant boy stows away on Santa Claus' sack. When discovered back at the North Pole, he is adopted by Papa Elf. Papa Elf names his son Buddy.Buddy grows up at the North Pole believing he is an elf, but due to his human size is unable to perform elf tasks. When Buddy accidentally learns that he is human, Papa Elf explains that he was born to Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells, and was given up for adoption without Walter knowing. Susan died and Walter works at a book publisher in New York City. Buddy travels to find him, whom Santa indicates that Walter is on the naughty list due to his greed and selfishness. Buddy then is out to save Walter and Christmas itself. This should be on your must see watch list.

story of an orphan who accidentally makes his way into Santa's magical bag on Christmas Eve as a baby. When Santa discovers him he puts him in the care of the elves, in particular Papa Elf. The elves raise him as one of their own despite his size difference and a few other more human traits he is raised to believe he is just another Elf. Buddy as he is known has now reached the age that Papa Elf believes he should know the truth, especially considering that Buddy has a real father, alive and well who didn't even know he existed. Buddy is excited about making his way to New York City to meet his real father. He travels from the safe land of The North Pole where he knows and understands everything into the brutal modern world of New York City. Buddy sticks out like a sore thumb, and not just because of his green elf costume he insists on wearing but his politeness, his fascination with the simple annoyances of life, and his insistence that he is truly an elf from the North Pole. He finally tracks down his real father, Walter, a big time children's book publicist who spends more time working than with his wife and other son. Buddy tries to explain that he is Walter's son but Walter has him removed from the building. After being kicked out Buddy meets a friend in Jovie, a rather down on her luck Gimble's worker who plays an Elf for the Christmas season. Although first rather nervous about Buddy she begins to warm up to his childlike innocence. Buddy continues to do all he can to get back to see his Dad and eventually with a blood test Walter discovers this rather imbalanced man is indeed his son. Walter's wife Emily insists that Buddy stay with him. Buddy does everything he can to spread Christmas cheer and turn everything more "Christmas-y" wherever he goes. Unfortunately his ignorance to the real world infuriates Walter and he just wants Buddy to go away but both his wife and other son have become very attached to Buddy. Buddy tries his hand at working with Walter, which causes disaster, and eventually Buddy finds himself all alone until Santa has a bit of a disaster himself and crashes the sleigh into Central Park. The sleigh won't fly because their is no Christmas spirit left. Fortunately Buddy has touched enough people's lives for Jovie and Emily and Michael to bring Christmas spirit back for everyone including Walter who finally realizes what is important. Buddy will save Christmas for everyone!! Buddy is a great Christmas character. His naivety and ignorance is funny but touching and cute. Ferrell actually does manage to pull that off thank goodness. Although I don't know if they make Buddy pure enough that it actually comes across that he is touching these people's lives. The real laughs are with the physical comedy in the film, mostly entirely done by Ferrell but it's very funny. James Caan is so out of place and yet so perfect for the role of Walter. He fits in but doesn't at all which is kind of strange. Bob Newhart as the narrator and Papa Elf is also a great little cameo. And the great Ed Asner as bit rough around the edges but very caring Santa is also great. Zooey Deschanel as Buddy's love interest Jovie is a good choice. Although at first she doesn't seem like the right pick they actually have decent chemistry and she plays her role with a lot of depth for the short time she gets. Director Jon Favreau does a good job of creating something I actually compared to the amazing classic Miracle on 34th Street. Much of this film reminded me of a more updated modern version of that film which is a great honor. While I don't think Elf has the staying power it's still a cute little Christmas film with a tolerable Will Ferrell and a good family film. Pick it up this Christmas or even if you just feel like being in the Christmas Spirit. 8.5/10

come out: Buddy your not an Elf your a Human. Buddy,were told, was left at the steps of an Cathloic Orphanage to be brought up by the Nuns there. One Christman Eve Santa came to town and Buddy slipped into his bag of toys and ended up in the North Pole and was secretly made to think that he's an Elf by Santa Papa Elf and all the Elfs working there. Now with the truth about him and his real dad Walter Hobbs, James Caan, a greedy and unfeeling children's book publisher who's, O' My God, on Santa's naughty list! Buddy crosses the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest and past the Sea of Twirly Swirly Gumdrops and finally goes through, on foot, the Lincoln Tunnel to the magic city, New York, to finally meet his dad who he never knew up until now. Looked at as "Some kind of Nut" at first Buddy's good and child-like nature, as well as his belief in the Christmas Spirit and Santa Claus, wins over everyone that he meets. From his dad Walter to his step-mom Emily Hobbs and younger brother Michael, Mary Steenburgen & Daniel Tay,as well as Jovie, Zooey Deschanel, the girl who he worked with as an Elf, what else,at Gimbel's Depertment Store. Through Buddy's skills as a toy maker as well as his all around good nature he made believer's of everyone in New York City that there is a Santa as well as a Christmas Spirit. Buddy did it with a little help from his newly found and made friends who at first didn't believe him and even thought that he was just a wee bit mentally unstable. Heartwarming Christmas Movie with Will Ferrell perfect as Buddy the Elf who saved Christmas with James Cann as his grouchy but later Santa believing dad. Jovie who has a beautiful singing voice but was too stage frighten to sing in front of people, she only could sing in the shower, was so motivated by Buddy's actions to open up her voice in public at New Yorks Central Park, singing a Christmas Carol, where everyone in the park joined in including Buddy's at first apprehensive dad Walter. This gave Santa's sled the power to lift it up above the clouds and fly higher then it did, with the Christmas Spirit that powered Santa's Raindeer driven Sled in everyones singing the Christmas Carol, for years.