Review of Elf (2003) by Brett C — 22 Dec 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

Jon Favreau has always leaned towards comedy with all of his films, using it as a way to keep them accessible and entertaining, but he respects the material too much to simply let them be just a shrug-worthy trip. So far, including this film, I have only seen three films from the director with the first Iron Man being the best of the group.

Elf revolves around a fantastical plot of a baby boy driven by curiosity, attempting to grab a toy in Santa Clause's bag, which eventually leads to him being taken to the North Pole. From there, he is raised by elves and attempts to be accepted by the culture, but overhearing his true race has led him to ask questions regarding his identity. It is revealed that he has a father who is currently living in New York City, and is determined to find him and build a relationship with. Elf is an interesting take on the fish out of water storyline, with Buddy Elf strolling through the cynical world that is New York City, delivering a clash of culture tension but ensuring that the character remains sympathetic. The film does not take the traditional route to corrupt its protagonist and have him internally transform as a human being, as the film is aware of humanity's flaws, pointing out their greed and lack of spirit.

The relationship between Buddy and his father is an interesting dynamic, with the former being so relentless in inserting himself in his father's life. The film is definitely a sentimental and predictable one, with character relationships exploding during the third act that would eventually lead to a climax that is positive and sweet but though the character relationships conclude themselves effectively, I did however find the overall message of faith of the Christmas spirit to be awfully executed, as the film pushes the idea of blind faith in order for Christmas to be restored but eventually it becomes hypocritical and he reveals himself to the public, and from there that is when people actually started to firmly believe in him and the Christmas spirit.

Elf's comedy works so well throughout due to the great performance brought by Will Ferrell, whom which avoids his usual overly sleazy archetype and displays something more adorable and honestly innocent. It never felt like he goes too far in attempting to gain a laugh, with every chuckle I gave was earned.

Elf is probably a classic Christmas film, but since this is my first viewing of the film, it has yet to hit me with such depth that everyone seems to gain from seeing it. I did have trouble in accepting the film's climax, but it isn't a large enough problem for me to not like this film.