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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: New Line Home Entertainment
Salesrank: 133
Released: November 16, 2004 |
| Our Price: $5.92 |
| Used Price: $3.30 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
This hilarious Christmas film tells the tale of a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later Buddy learns he is not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.
DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:2 commentaries with Will Ferrell & Director
DVD ROM Features
Deleted Scenes
Featurette:Film school for kids Tag along with Will Ferrell How they made the North Pole Kids on Christmas and more!
Other:2-Disc Infinifilm DVD Widescreen version on Disc 1 and Fullscreen version on Disc 2 Spanish Language Track Elf Karaoke Read-Along Infinifilm Fact Tack Buddy's Adventure Game Elf Decoder Card and more!
Description of Elf (Infinifilm Edition):
Elf is genuinely good. Not just Saturday Night Live-movie good, when the movie has some funny bits but is basically an insult to humanity; Elf is a smartly written, skillfully directed, and deftly acted story of a human being adopted by Christmas elves who returns to the human world to find his father. And because the writing, directing, and acting are all genuinely good, Elf is also genuinely funny. Will Ferrell, as Buddy the adopted elf, is hysterically sincere. James Caan, as his rediscovered father, executes his surly dumbfoundedness with perfect aplomb. Zooey Deschanel, as a department store worker with whom Buddy falls in love, is adorably sardonic. Director Jon Favreau (Swingers) shepherds the movie through all the obligatory Christmas cliches and focuses on material that's sometimes subtle and consistently surprising. Frankly, Elf feels miraculous. Also featuring Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Ed Asner as Santa Claus. --Bret Fetzer
Stills from Elf (click for larger image)
Elf (Infinifilm Edition) Reviews:
Very Funny Film 
2009-12-22 - A really funny movie with an interesting premise. A human raised as an elf at the North Pole is introduced to life in New York City as he learns that he's not really an elf and that his real father is on Santa's "naughty" list. Much of the comedy comes from how this grown man acts like a kid because he doesn't know any better.
Ferrell fits the role for this Christmas tale 
2009-12-22 - Liberties can be taken when it comes to some holiday movies, and Elf is also one that fits this niche, as Will Ferrell plays a human who mistakenly was left abandoned and wound up being raised by Papa Elf and his group of elves. Trying to fit into the elf world, Buddy (Ferrell) helps his fellow elves prepare gifts for Christmas and do other sorts of jobs, but never quite holds up his end (at one point, after not meaning his quota, Buddy frustratingly calls himself a "cotton-headed ninnymuggins" in despair). One day, after overhearing other elves speak about Buddy's "humanness", Buddy has the truth broken to him by Papa Elf: he was adopted by the elf community, and he's really human, and his father, who is on the naughty list, is in New York where he works. Buddy departs to New York to find his real father, and tries to understand and fit into the culture of the human world as Christmas approaches. Buddy's father is play perfectly by James Caan, who is aloof and distant from Buddy. While in a department store, Buddy meets a beautiful worker who he falls for. From here, the film focuses on Buddy trying to gain a role in his human father's life as well as his new found relationship with his fellow worker, all the while trying to stir up Christmas spirit in a world where it is sorely lacking.
The casting for Elf is superb. Ferrell can use his zany and over-the-top antics, and it fits well with his character Buddy as he makes his transition to the human world as a giant elf. He plays the role as "man-child" with perfection, and his obnoxious and overly loud outbursts go well with the inner child and innocence in this role. There is also great chemistry between Ferrell and Deschanel, who is the department store clerk who Buddy falls for. There are a few parts where they sing, and Deschanel has a wonderful voice, with Ferrell's not being too bad either. James Caan does a great job and is cast perfectly as Buddy's reluctant and tough-guy father, who at first wants nothing to do with Buddy, but eventually softens. And Bob Newhart is solid as Papa Elf, who raises Buddy to be more elf than human.
There are some great laughs in the film as well as a few memorable lines. At one point, Buddy overhears that Santa is coming to the department store the next day and he screams out "Santa!" When the "phony" Santa arrives, Buddy sniffs out that this is, in fact, a fake and is on to him, saying "You sit on a throne of lies", which follows with a major altercation between the two.
The nice thing about this film is that it is a family friendly Christmas film with humor and a feel good attitude. The latter part of the film probably isn't as good as the first half, and we can probably predict how things will turn out, but that doesn't deter an over all good time.
Will Ferrell "elfs himself" to a new Holiday classic
2009-12-16 - Who would've thought that Will Ferrell, Saturday Night Live alumni, would be the one to create a new Christmas classic? Thanks to the wide-eyed silliness of Ferrell, the deftly smart direction of Jon Favreau, and a cleverly funny & heartfelt script, "Elf" turns out to be a real delight. In a decade awash with disappointing Holiday films, this one truly earns the title of "brand new Holiday classic".
And the whole cast is good: James Caan as Buddy the Elf's gruff, cynical father who's lost touch with his true spirit; Mary Steenburgen gives solid support as Caan's wife; Bob Newhart lends his dour, low-key presence as Head Elf; Zooey Deschanel as Buddy's love interest, a rather cynical & untrusting department store worker; and Ed Asner as a sort of world-weary Santa. But ultimately, this is Ferrell's movie all the way, as his sweetly innocent but comical Buddy navigates his way through the gritty jungle of New York City, and eventually succeeds in re-connecting the town with its lost Holiday spirit.
Both an engaging tale & a charming satire of Christmas movies, "Elf" is definitely one of my favorites to watch around Christmastime!
A Will Ferrel Christmas
2009-12-08 - This is yet another film that you can watch during this time of year. Despite it being far from perfect, it's a hilarious comedy, and I had a great time watching it. It has so many gags that work, and it has Will Ferrel as an elf (well, a human who was raised by elves)! If that doesn't seem funny to you, then I'd be fresh out of ideas. Ferrell gives a surprisingly excellent performance here, and the supporting cast is brilliant. James Caan, Bob Newhart, and Zooey Deschanel really have something here. But I think the greatest thing about this film is that it's one of those that gives you a very warm feeling about the holidays. It's about family, friendship, and most importantly, love. In short, Elf is a funny Christmas film. It may not be as memorable as It's a Wonderful Life or Home Alone, but it's still very entertaining.
can be watched every night for a month, and it doesn't get old
2009-12-02 - I wasn't going to order this for my wife- I knew what I was in for. "Why don't you put Elf on for me?" every night- but I can't say no to her, you know? So now I know the lines to this think like I did for Princess Bride and 16 Candles, back in high school-
And there are some great lines!
"You sit on a throne of lies!"
"Watch out for the yellow ones, they don't stop!"
"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"
"My finger has a heart beat."
"Have you seen these toilets? They're GINORMOUS!"
This movie is sweet, goofy, funny, innocent and joyful- everything you want in a Christmas movie.
Will Ferrell is fantastic as Buddy the Elf. This was the movie that really turned me around on him- he really nails this role- before this movie I always thought he was just massively annoying.
Bob Newhart is great, of course. I used this movie as an excuse to make my wife watch some of his older stuff, particularly his great sit-coms from the seventies and eighties.
This is where I first met Zooey Deshanel. What a delight she is! She has a bit of a hipster/indie edge, without being off-putting.
And the Louie Prima songs are a great touch- who would have thought to use Louie Prima in a Christmas movie? But it works!
The infinifilm stuff is a bit annoying. I won't be buying any more of these- it's an interesting idea, but it doesn't really work.
This movie works for the whole family - young kids to oldest adults - and it has enough odd ball moments that it bears repeated re-watching.
