○ Will Ferrell Makes a New Christmas Classic With Elf ●

A New Christmas Classic - Elf Sweet & Funny at the Same Time Elf is, pretty much, predictable, but so what A human baby is accidently brought to the North Pole and an elf decides to raise it. When the child is about 30, he "discovers " he's not an elf and heads off to NY to find his father. Yadda, yadda. yadda !! We know - daddy will not accept at first but in the end he will his son. I found this movie to be very funny from the outset because of a cast of credible, veteran actors. In particular, Bob Newhart (as the elf who raised the human child ) and his dry sense of humor add a wonderfully sarcastic twist to the movie that will appeal to adults and not be much noticed by the kids. Ed Asner as Santa is perfect. Asner's a veteran grump and his protrayal of Santa as a bit grumpy adds a reality to the character beyond the usual super-sweet holiday fat guy. The other major contributor to the film's comic effect is, of course, the star, Will Farrell. I never really cared for him much as he's something of a potty-mouth and he's certainly not someone I would want children to see in a movie. To me, he was like taking a kid to see Eddie Murphy or Steve Martin (in the early days) - raunchy, often funny, but almost always inappropriate. Oddly, Farrel excels. He seems to have "made it " in this film - to the point that he doesn't seem to need to get attention by being outrageous. There are no scenes inappropriate for children, the language is not foul, and Farrel is the epitome of a wonderfully sweet elf. His childlike portrayal of the role is very well done. I hope this is the film that "makes " Farrel. He's a comic genious along the lines of Steve Martin (the later years), and seems able to carry himself ably in this role without missing a beat. Then maybe we can leave the raunchiness behind permanently. 【Will Ferrell】 *E* *L* *F* 【James Caan】 Lovable Will Ferrel as A Most Lovable ELF Who better to play the part of Papa Elf than Bob Newhart ? Sitting in a chair, dressed as an elf, he introduces us to the story and background surrounding Buddy the Elf, played by Will Ferrell (SNL). Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show ) also helps us tie up loose ends at the end of the story. Buddy (Will Ferrell) stows away in one of Santa's, (played by Ed Asner ) bags when Santa paid a visit to the orphanage 30 years earlier. When Buddy eventually came to the realization he wasn't a true elf, he traveled to New York City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs, played by James Caan. Hobbs makes his living as a publishing executive and is jaded to Christmas and all it represents. Imagine Buddy walking around Gimbels, the Empire State Building and other notable landmarks of New York City dressed in a green coat and gold tights, with curly black shoes. Elf Buddy is a 30 year old man, with the mind and innocence of a 5 year old. Having spent the previous 30 years living at the North Pole, all of New York City intrigues him. Even the most simple every day items are a mystery to Buddy. He is a whiz at Christmas decorations, putting other decorators to shame. Even though my husband never cared for Will Ferrell in SNL, he did enjoy his antics in this movie. Ferrell's comedy, both physical and witty, is enough to make you fall out of your seat, even if you are sitting on the floor. The situations he gets himself into by his curiousity and naiveness are endless. And the irony of those situations is hilarious. I can remember at least 10-15 distinct times when the whole audience sitting in the theatre laughed out loud. Although a comedy, this movie does have some touching moments. Heck, it made me cry !! Not really cry like big time, but a tear did roll down my cheek , in more than one place. The funny thing is, it was two different emotions. One was sadness, and the other was happiness. Weird, isn't it? The soundtrack is the best soundtrack from a Christmas movie in a very long time. The best song is a remake of "Baby It’s Cold Outside ," sung by Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone (the voice of Leon the Snowman ). You can also find a cheerful rendition of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town ," as sung by the entire cast of Elf. Even if you don’t see the film, this is a gr8 soundtrack to own for the holidays. Elf is a heartwarming film that will make you believe in Santa Claus once again. Its a Gr8 movie for all ages and all occasions. Anyway, I give this movie a gr8 rating for its ability to play with my emotions. Laughter, happiness, sadness, and, yes, even guilt, played into my movie-watching experience when I payed my 9 dollars to watch Elf..... If you haven’t seen it yet, do your best to find a theatre where it is still playing. You'll want to see it more than once heck, I did !!