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Review

An uneven but amusing family comedy, Elf casts Ferrell as a man raised in the North Pole by Santa's elves. Sincere and passionate about toy-making, he lacks those elfin skills needed to be a success, and, feeling like an outcast, he decides to find his real father. Said Pop turns out to be corporate workaholic Caan, who, of course, doesn't believe Ferrell's claims to be his son ... or an actual elf. While low-wattage and underachieving, Elf can also be a lot of fun: Ferrell's wide-eyed appreciation of a diner's sign proclaiming "Best Coffee in the World", and his impromptu duet with Deschanel on the standard "Baby, It's Cold Outside" are just two charming moments in a film with many of them. Unfortunately, there's also more than a few sappy moments, and the film could've benefited from less sentimental goop. Deschanel and Caan give very appealing performances — and there's a hysterical cameo by The Station Agent's Dinklage — but this is Ferrell's film. This isn't just a comic mugging for the camera; Ferrell gives a fine performance here, showing more nuance and delicacy than anyone would have expected of him, and probably more than the material deserves.

 -- Dean C. Galanis