Elf - Review

Right off the bat, I have seen this movie every single Christmas since 2003. To me, it is my favourite Christmas movie. I reviewed this movie last year and I must have been in a really rotten mood when reviewing it because although I gave it a perfect rating, I mentioned that I was done watching Elf for Christmases to come. That is pure and utter nonsense. I will be watching Elf for many years to come. Maybe it might have a year off here and there, but this will go down as a Christmas classic in my books. The jokes are still funny to this day because they are well written and match the character's personality. Will Ferrel is a very funny man and he has made countless funny movies, although I will admit that he tends to rely on the 'laugh at how unattractive, clumsy or stupid I am' routine or the 'look how awkward I can be in this situation' routine and to be honest, I am kind of tired of it. Sure, Anchorman has its moments, but joking about "smelly pirate hookers on whore island" gets old real fast. Here, the jokes totally match the character and his surroundings. Buddy the Elf has never seen a human city before and all he knows is the North Pole and Santa's workshop. That's why the whole "He's a fake! It's not the real Santa" gag is so funny, because he takes Christmas so seriously. It also makes the relationships he has with other people more interesting too. All he wants is to make people happy and spread Christmas spirit which of course is contrasted well with his father Walter Hobbs. Jon Favreau does a great job with putting Buddy, a character who is so likable in situations where the audience can laugh with him and for the story to have tension and drama. That's why the movie is so great at making us laugh year after year after year. Also, underneath all the funny gags, it is a heartwarming story about cherishing who you really are and never forgetting where you came from.

If you haven't seen Elf (and yes, I have met people recently who haven't) and looking for something fun to watch this Christmas either by yourself, with your buddies, with your significant other or even your little ones, Elf is the perfect Christmas movie for you.