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By Britt Gillette
This Christmas, discover your inner elf… At least, that's the
tagline for Elf, one of the funniest films of 2003. Packed
with
a cast of Hollywood all-star talent, Elf is guaranteed to make
you laugh. The touching story about an adopted elf who
discovers he's really a boy is sort of a bizzaro-Pinocchio
story that opened to such widespread critical acclaim that it
unanimously swept zero Oscars at the 2004 Academy Awards
ceremony! Nevertheless, Elf is worth the price of admission.
Although Christmas Vacation still holds the title as the top
Christmas comedy, Elf is still a great night's entertainment…
Buddy (Will Ferrell) is an oversized elf working away at the
North Pole. Always wearing a smile, he dwarfs his comrades and
never seems able to find his niche in the toy-making arena.
Eventually, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) is forced to reveal the
truth to Buddy. He's actually a human. He's not really an elf
at all. The elves love buddy just the same, but Buddy feels
the
need to strike out on his own and try to find himself - and
maybe even his family too…
Scouring the streets of New York City, Buddy must learn the
urban rules of life. In due time, he manages to track down his
biological father, a successful publishing executive named
Walter (James Caan). But despite the prodding of his wife
Emily
(Mary Steenburgen), Walter is reluctant to start a
relationship
with the over-eager grown-up child…
In the meantime, Buddy spends his days working at Gimbel's
department store where he stars as a department store Santa's
elf and a Christmas season decorator, creating a magical
wonderland that thrills customers and employees alike.
Striking
up a relationship with fellow employee Jovie (Zooey
Deschanel),
Buddy's life is slowly transitioning from elf to human… But
will he be able to survive in the big city? Will he be able to
rekindle a relationship with his father? Elf thoroughly
entertains us while we find out…
With a great cast of writers, Elf manages to keep the laughs
rolling throughout the entirety of the film. Although lacking
in some areas (it's not one of the greatest comedies of
all-time), Elf is a hilarious movie in its own right. Will
Ferrell turns in an amazing performance as Buddy. Like Tom
Hanks in Big, he's actually believable as the innocent
man-child roaming the streets of New York City. It's this
farcical innocence that provides Elf with the charm necessary
to keep the audience involved in the story beginning to end.
Because of its laugh factor, and the surprisingly small number
of decent Christmas-themed movies, Elf is a definite must-see
film… Check it out this Christmas!
About The Author: Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report
(thedvdreport.blogspot.com), a blog where you can find
more reviews like this one.
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