*** Official ELF Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[D. Scott MacDonald]

Has anybody seen this yet? I'm looking for something to take the kids to this weekend, and the reviews for this have been much kinder than Brother Bear.

Also, my 4 year old still believes in Santa. Will this movie ruin that for him? (That's not neccesrily a bad thing, since he's starting to get to the age where he's going to find out one way or the other.)

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I think it's a great movie for kids.

And adults.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Great news and a great review! Can't wait to see it.

 

[Kyle McKnight]

Wow, fantastic review. I was planning on seeing this over the weekend, and will doubt visit again in December. Thanks for the info.

 

[Rocky F]

I agree with Scott, it's a good kids and adults type of movie, and it definately doesn't discourage Santa belief. In fact, that's an important part of the climax.

 

[JohnE]

Great review, thanks. I hadn't planned on seeing this, but i think you just changed my mind.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Elf" please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "Elf" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy

 

[Peter Kline]

I saw it yesterday. Not an all-time great Christmas film, but definately a fun movie. The moment when one character suddenly changes his ways is all too convenient to my thinking. Peter Billingsley plays the head dwarf at the beginning of the film! (No, not the part played by Bob Newhart).

 

[streeter]

I too noticed Peter Billingsley. I looked at imdb.com but he wasn't credited there yet. Was his name in the end credits?

Billingsley produced Favreau's last film "Made."

 

[Peter Kline]

Yes.

 

[Paul Jenkins]

Saw this tonight with the family, we all loved it. Great Christmas movie for the family, we laughed in spite of the rude people in the theater who believed that their oh-so-witty commentary was appreciated by all...

Will Ferrell was outstanding, he just makes us laugh looking at him

 

[Steve_Knutzen]

Will Ferrel is on a roll. Another great movie. Hardest I've laughed at a movie in a while. I thought that Andy Richter was underused though. I was really excited to see him, but his character just didn't do much.
"Do you have friends? Do they have big jackets too?"

 

[Nick Graham]

Great, great film and I wasn't expecting it to be. It's got a lot of the plot contrivances and sap you'd expect from a movie aimed partially at kids, but I laughed until my chest hurt a few times, and I absolutley loved it.

Even if you have no kids, you owe it to yourself to see this. Also fun to see Artie Lang, Kyle from Tenacious D, and Andy Richter pop up.

"How about this....a group of asparagus children who are self-conscious about the smell of their pee."

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Estimated $32.1 opening weekend!

Congrats to Will and Jon!

 

[Adam Horak]

My wife and I saw this on Friday and both really enjoyed it. It will probably become an annual holiday movie for us. The only part that didn't make much sense to either of us was the deal with the evil park rangers. The whole thing just felt very contrived.

 

[Tim Glover]

Saw this Sat. night and we thought it was cute. Not great, but still enjoyable.

 

[Paul Jenkins]

The only part that didn't make much sense to either of us was the deal with the evil park rangers. The whole thing just felt very contrived

well, they were pissed b/c they were on the naughty list

 

[JosefM]

I thought it was an enjoyable movie. I took my 11-year old niece who loved it. Definitely a movie for kids and adults to enjoy. Will Ferrell has concreted his leap to the big screen.

 

[Seth Paxton]

The only part that didn't make much sense to either of us was the deal with the evil park rangers. The whole thing just felt very contrived.

This is the kind of stuff I blasted in my review. Take away Ferrell being funny and a few inspired efforts of comedy from the supporting players and you have a pretty hack piece of crap holiday film.

The Rangers were a poorly written threat for Santa, but a story needs that threat. Better to have established them earlier somehow. Caan's character makes a drastic turn even though by the formula we know its coming. The film simply does not work with any of his arc. The romance arc is also terribly underwritten.

Ferrell had me in tears and the general premise is a great one, working every fish out of water joke they can find, but the rest of the film is a wreck. If anything it shows just how strong Ferrell is as a comedian, not unlike when Jim Carrey took an almost worthless script and made it into the hit that was Ace Ventura (although that film also had a better written plot than Elf).


The Jack in the Box scene was magic.

 

[Chris]

Shocked. I figured this film would be utter garbage, in the spirit of most SNL breakouts, but I found myself, even with my initial negative outlook, laughing a lot. A lot of it is over the top, but it's played so well that it stays fresh.

In a strange way, it reminded me of why I laughed at "Dumb & Dumber" (the original) and why I refused to see "Dumb and Demberer: When Harry Met Lloyd".. it's the kind of comedy I think you have to have the right cast for in order to pull off.