Review

Review Date: 23-November-03
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Just OK

Elf (2003)

The makers of "Elf" have me between a rock and a hard place, because their apparently earnest attempt to spread good cheer (while making a buck) means that I must run with Scrooge if I slam their movie. So I'll say up front with great defensiveness that I did laugh out loud during "Elf," and I did think Will Ferrell put on a jolly good show, and I did appreciate it more than most goofy mainstream comedies. That said, I must declare that it wasn't as good as it should have been.

When it comes to anything Christmas (and making a buck), popular wisdom puts originality on the "naughty" list. Thus, "Elf" screenwriter David Berenbaum remains squarely in established territory in telling the story of Buddy (Ferrell), a human raised by Santa's elves who maintains a blissful ignorance about his ties to the outside world until he has reached his thirties. When his unusual size (relative to everyone else at the North Pole) and consequent inaptitude at performing elfin tasks can no longer be ignored, Santa (Ed Asner) spills the beans about his heritage and sends Buddy off to New York to reunite with the father who doesn't even know he exists. Of course, this father (James Caan) is a curmudgeon with intimacy issues and little holiday spirit who must either destroy Buddy's good nature or be forever mitigated by it.

The standard-issue elements of "Elf" provide some of its charm but most of its distracting mediocrity. I don't know if younger viewers would agree, but I found the overt allusions to every Christmas movie and TV special that ever informed my concept of the holiday quite delightful. And who could tire of seeing that big, brightly lit tree at Rockefeller Center? However, the movie clutters its promising fish-out-of-water and father-son themes for unwelcome clichés. About halfway through, Buddy changes from a sweet naif to a freakish idiot, presumably to appease Ferrell's SNL fans, and shortly thereafter the script awkwardly attempts to turn his half-brother (Daniel Tay) into a character, because I guess one can't have a Christmas movie without a cute little kid. Worst of all, the inclusion of Zooey Deschanel as a shy songbird who gets hot over Buddy's enthusiasm doesn't work in any way, shape, or form. Why must every character in a Hollywood movie have a romantic interest (as long as they're not fat, old, or funny looking)? Frankly, it's unpleasant to think of anyone as childlike as Buddy having sex, or even contemplating it.

But "Elf" does set itself apart (and thereby earn some points) through Ferrell's highly enjoyable and almost entirely sarcasm-free performance. As soon as he enters the Big Apple in his ridiculous yellow tights and jaunty elf hat, you know exactly what's coming, but that doesn't diminish the payoff of watching him cheerfully and cluelessly engage in inappropriate behavior. If there is one tried-and-true requirement for a holiday movie that should never be disregarded, it's that the story should make you feel all warm inside. Whereas Santa, the wayward father, the cute kid, and the pretty girl add up to little more than the dutiful fulfillment of a perceived cultural obligation, Ferrell single-handedly delivers the fuzzies, turning his "Elf" into a sugarplum role.

Copyright © 2003 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.