Buddy (Will Ferrell) has been raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) in the North Pole. As he grew he started to realize that he was a bit different than every other elf in the toy factory. When he reached the right age Papa Elf was forced to let him know that he was a human. Buddy was determined to find his father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), but to his surprise Santa Clause (Edward Asner) has informed him that he is in the naughty list. Buddy is now on a mission to find his dad in New York and spread the holiday spirit among all the individuals he sees. His curiosities will more than likely get him into sticky situations.
Elf is undeniably on of Will Ferrell’s most beloved film. Anyone can remember one line from the movie, it is simply that memorable. I don’t mean the movie is the best picture of the year material, but it certainly is one that can be easily put in your player and watch over and over and probably don’t get tired of it. But just like any movie out there some may dislike it and some may love it and that’s just how it is. However, think back in the past few years during the holiday season and I am sure you can remember a TV station that was airing the movie. I am also positive it was more than one time throughout the season.
Elf was more an inspirational movie. It attempts to tell you and remind of what Christmas and the holidays represent. The message that director Jon Favreau tries to tell is very simple and it doesn’t try to be anything but simple. Will Ferrell does an incredible job with the character, keep in mind that he was going to be wacky from the get go, and is very fitting for him. The entire cast was great, but you simply have to keep in perspective the type of movie this is. The dialogue is quirky and fitting. You can’t go wrong with pick a setting in New York City to make things more magical in a sense. You can’t go wrong with this movie, it’s slowly moving up the holiday classics latter. It’s fun, entertaining, and relatively good for a Saturday family movie night.
Elf arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p VC-1 encode framed at 1.85:1. Elf is not exactly eye candy, even when released in DVD it was unattractive, but this Blu-ray release bring out the best in the movie. Colors are natural and lifelike. Colors like red and green really stand out throughout. Black levels are deep and inky, but a bit inconsistent. Detailing is great, capturing the detailed in the garments wore by the elves, close up shots reveal the skin texture, and there’s some nice level on the surrounding objects. The film is topped with a thin layer of grain to give it that film like look. There are a few issues that are worth a note, there is some artifacts during night time scenes, DNR is also present in various shots, and the skintones can go from normal and stable to red tone. Overall, Elf looks good on Blu-ray.
Elf arrives on Blu-ray with a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio lossless track. Elf is primarily a dialogue driven film and with that being said let’s move on. Dialogue is handled without a problem and reproduced through the center channel. Music is reproduced with great fidelity and is often delivered with great precision. There isn’t much use for the surrounds, since Elf is more of a dialogue film, but when needed they great support. The LFE output is very low and almost non-existent. Elf’s soundtrack fits the film nicely and there is really no further complaint.
Audio Commentary – The first track features director Jon Favreau.
Audio Commentary – The second track features actor Will Ferrell
Documentaries – There are a total of nine documentaries: Tag Alone with Will Ferrell, Film School for Kids, Now They Made the North Pole, Lights Camera Puffin!, That’s A Wrap…, Kids on Christmas, Deck the Nalls, Santa Mania, and Christmas in Tinseltown.
Fact Track – Discover little –known facts about Santa and the elves.
Focus Points – Interactive featurette that allows the viewers to go behind the scenes of the movie among other making of the film facts.
Elf Karaoke – Includes three (3) tracks: We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Deck the Nalls, and Jingle Bells.
Deleted and Alternate Scenes – There are a total of nine (9) scenes with an option of commentary with director Jon Favreau.
Theatrical Trailer
Digital Copy
Collector’s Edition Goodies – The Ultimate Collector’s Edition includes a collectible tin box, a plush Elf holiday stocking, a magnetic Elf picture frame, 5-track Elf soundtrack, and 15 Elf gift tags.
Elf is quickly be becoming a holiday classic. Will Ferrell is always exceptional in these type of roles that just leads me to believe that he is a natural. The film was simple with a straight message that tells you what the holidays are really about. The film was funny, charming, and featured a great dialogue that fitted the entire cast perfectly. Elf was formed on a solid foundation and Jon Favreau just simply let Will Ferrell and cast do their thing. The Blu-ray features a decent video and audio transfer that are definitely an improvement over the DVD. The supplements are packed with a lot of things to see after the credits begin to roll. I highly recommend you Elf so you can enjoy it with the entire family.
