Elf movie review...

Blogmas day 22 is here! Which can only mean 3 days until the big day! As we are getting so close to Christmas, I thought we would look back at a Christmas classic and see just what makes it so good!

Here is my review of the 2003 Christmas classic, Elf!

Synopsis: Buddy, a human, is raised amongst elves at the North Pole. When he discovers that he is not an elf, he travels to New York to search for his biological father.

Cast:

Buddy - Will Ferrell

Zooey Deschanel - Jovie

James Caan - Walter Peter Dinklage - Miles Finch

Okay, so let's start with the positives. Personally, I adore this film, it may potentially be one of my ultimate favourite Christmas movies. The acting, physical comedy and Christmas spirit is one of the best of this genre. Let's break that down.

The acting. This film sits in a strange place of being a fun children's movie and an adult comedy, using the sadness of being a grown up to juxtapose the fairytale/magical that Buddy feels. But, Will Ferrell makes this movie the joy that it is. Through his innate wonder in everything he sees and his amazing physical comedy, Ferrell plays a character that is impossible to not love. Buddy can only be described as the most joyous, festive thing around, and Ferrell beautifully portrays this, creating this incredible child-like character that finds joy in the mundane, like the copy room.

Zooey Deschanel also has such a vital role in this movie, playing not only just the romantic character, but also is a great addition to the aid of the growth of Buddy. The singing scenes are really cute and fun, and her ability to fall into a place of festive spirit and belief, all thanks to Buddy, is a great storyline.

There’s also a romantic storyline between Ferrell and Deschanel, and a heartfelt gooey centre that emulates Buddy’s growth into not only a man, but a fully-formed character, which not many Christmas movies are successful at. Whilst the romantic storyline may be slightly predictable, because we follow the journey of Buddy, it feels natural and an audiences reaction is much more of a comfort moment than a cliché.

The secondary characters are also really good in this film, and whilst they're not the leads, they all play a vital part in telling the story of Buddy.

I think, one of the main reasons that I love this movie is that it’s enjoyable for kids, but it’s necessary for adults. It always brings me back to those moments as a child when I would stay up all night and wait for Santa to arrive, and run around the house with pure excitement at the sight of any presents, this movie brings me back to that place, and as I grow up, I realise just how precious those moments were.

Now, where I think this movie falls a little flat, and this is a very minor hate that I have, but I find the ending of this movie really underwhelming. We spend so much time watching Buddy running around NYC, which I love, however, we lose out on a slow development story, meaning that the jump between Buddy leaving NYC with Santa to seeing Buddy and Jovie raising a child in the North Pole really quick and jolty. In my opinion, from the point in central park to the end feels slightly rushed and a little messy, but, the movie is that good that I can absolutely forgive it.

Watching this movie every year keeps my Christmas spirit high and I am so thankful for that. Will Ferrell is absolutely incredible in this role and I will constantly return to this movie every single year. I think if everyone had even half of the joy and festive magic that Buddy has, the world would be a much nicer place to be.

The best way to spend Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

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