I've been away for ages but I'm back with avengence!
I've been away for ages but I'm back with avengence!
Member since:30.11.2005
Reviews:220
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As the days grow longer and mornings grow lighter, instead of water fights and wadding pools, my 3 year old son has taken to all things Christmsey. I have had to endure this film 3 times in the space of 4 days but will endeavour to write a fair and contemplative review, although, I may have to wait until I can get Jingle Bells out of head long enough to focus first!
Director: John Favreau Actors: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschenel Release date: November 2003 Genre: holiday family comedy Classification: PG Run time: 97 minutes RRP: £9.99 Amazon Price: £5.79
>>>What’s it all about<<< Buddy (Will Ferrell) was orphaned as a baby and ended up at the North Pole after hiding in Santa’s sack. As he gets older, Buddy notices the subtle (or not so subtle) differences between him and the elves that raised him. One year, Santa allows him to travel to New York to find his birth father Walter Hobbs (James Caan) who isn’t even aware of Buddy’s existence.
Hobbs is a perpetual member of Santa’s naughty list and is commonly known for being a cruel and heartless chump and as Buddy explores the wonders of New York City, and as Christmas Eve looms closer and closer, it is up to him to find the softer side of the father he grew up not knowing and bring back the spirit of Christmas in the Big Apple.
Will the job prove too much of a challenge for the hapless Buddy? Will his father ever truly accept him as his own son? Will Buddy prefer life in New York and
leave Santa and the Elves behind forever? Oh the suspense!!!
>>>Who is John Favreau<<< I must admit to having no idea who John Favreau was until I looked him up on IMDB. Its Monica’s millionaire (failed) ultimate fighting champion boyfriend Pete from the early days of Friends! I had no idea how extensive this mans CV was as either as an actor, writer, producer or director.
As an actor you may have seen him more recently in films such as The Break Up (He is close friends with Vince Vaughn having worked on Ruby with him in 1993) or on TV shows like My Name is Earl and King of Queens. As a director, Favreau has been involved in several film projects since Elf (In which he also appears as the doctor) including the hugely popular kids film, Zathura: A Space Adventure and the much anticipated upcoming Iron Man.
>>>Acting <<< Lets be honest, this film isn’t about great acting ability, it’s about making kids laugh by being as ridiculous as possible with extended burps and farts thrown in for good measure. If we judge the acting by those standards, Will Ferrell is heads and shoulders above his fellow cast mates. He is a ridiculous child in a grown man’s body and is therefore ideal to play the giant elf who kids will relate too. He is a big ball of daft slapstick which although tiresome for grown-ups after a while, is exactly what you need in a holiday comedy.
James Caan plays his usual grumpy hard-assed bully and he plays it brilliantly as usual. He only became slightly unbelievable in the role towards the end of the film. Bob Newhart as Papa Elf was perhaps the best bit of casting I have seen in years. I am not sure how well known this little old man with a terrible set of nerves is over here, but he became somewhat of an American legend following comedic success and starred in Newhart, a story about a couple who run a hotel in Vermont. He is a most unhappy looking man but comes across more as the softest, fluffiest teddy bear in your collection. He always makes me think of one of those poor humiliated dogs that have been dressed up in a bonnet and hat. Ed Asner is of the same generation of acting and with a face not known for smiling and laughter he was an ironic but clever choice for Santa Clause.
Somewhat forgettable and unnecessary supporting performances are put in by Mary Steenburgen and Zooey Deschenel but the truth of the matter is this film is a show case for the boys comedy club and they very much rule the film.
>>>Script<<< This is a film of one liners that was written to make Ferrell shine. It seemed quite obvious that the entire screenplay was written around his role with other characters missing out on the funny lines and the opportunity to contribute more to the film fully. It was funny and I did have a chuckle every now and again (My 3 year old laughed from beginning to end) but I found it wasn’t very consistent. It seemed getting the laughs sometimes over-rided the need for continuity which was a bit disappointing, but again, I have to remember this is a film for children and the laughs are what count to them.
>>>Cinematography<<< Again, this is a kids film. You don’t need beautiful settings and advanced state of the art special effects. All you need is Santa flying through the sky in his sleigh and a bit of snow sprinkled around Central Park. It is a brightly coloured and busy looking film. Quiet and stillness are avoided at all costs I imagine in fear that if it slows down, kids will get bored and switch off. I found the constant fast-paced action a bit exhausting but I can’t deny it is what kids want to watch.
>>>Soundtrack<<< As you would expect, most of the music in this film is Christmas focused. You can expect an abundance of irritatingly catchy American jingles like Jingle Bell Rock and I saw Mummy Kissing Santa Clause. If you can manage to make it through this barrage of Christmas Spirit, you will even find a funny scene in which Buddy gets down to Whoomp there it is in an attempt to date the film and relate it more closely to its target audience. A few years on though and it just seems wrong.
>>>What I thought of it<<< I am not a huge Will Farrell fan. I find his comedy a bit hollow and easy. Having said that, I can completely appreciate how he can entertain others and kids in particular so well. This is not my kind of film. I find the humour is often lazy and there is little room for imagination. It just doesn’t have the magic and mystery I like to see in children’s films. However, I cannot deny it’s success at holding the wee one’s attention. It isn’t a harmful film in anyway and it definitely entertains. It is an easy, funny enough and happy film that won’t tax your brain. It may be perfect viewing post Christmas dinner when parents want a bit of peace and quiet, but don’t expect much more than that.
>>>Did you know<<<
>When the script was first toted around Hollywood, Jim Carrey was expected to play the lead.
>Buddy's 17-second belch was performed by Maurice LaMarche who is best known as The Brain from Pinky and the Brain.
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