DVD Reviews

Elf (Ultimate Collector's Edition) – Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Nov 25, 2010, 11:57 GMT

This hilarious Christmas film tells the tale of a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa\'s bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later Buddy learns he is not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity. ...more

The holiday season rolls around again and Will Ferrell reappears on store shelves in his hilarious Christmas film.  Those expecting more than a big tin box and some physical swag may be howling Bah Humbug though. 

Santa (Ed Asner) is making his usual Christmas rounds when a baby crawls into his magic sack on a visit to an orphanage.  The child ends up at the North Pole and is given to Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) to raise as his own. 

The now adult baby is called Buddy (Will Ferrell) and has grown up thinking that he is an elf.  However, his enormous size and inability to manufacture toys finally force Papa Elf to tell him the truth.  Buddy is devastated to learn that he isn’t an elf, elated to find out his father is still alive, but horrified to learn that his biological dad, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), is on the naughty list. 

Buddy sets off to New York to meet up with his father and teach him the meaning of Christmas.  Walter, not believing that buddy is the fruit of his loins, tosses him out of his offices.  Buddy ends up in Gimbel’s department store where he meets Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). 

When Buddy discovers that the store Santa (Artie Lange) is an imposter, a fight breaks out and Buddy goes to the police station.  Walter is called in to collect him and a paternity test proves that Buddy is his son. 

So he takes him home to meet his current wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and son Michael (Daniel Tay).  The naïve Buddy keeps pestering his newly found father to accept both him and Christmas. 

Elf was a huge hit for both Will Ferrell and director Jon Favreau.  Hell, my kids would pull it out in July and rewatch it.  No matter its yuletide theme.  I’ll also admit that it’s a hilarious film with great performances (Ferrell, Deschanel, Asner, Caan, Newhart, basically everyone) all around and a sweet story. 

Warner announced that the film would be getting an ultimate edition release and perhaps you were expecting more merry in your Christmas sock.  Well, you get the Christmas sock but the Blu-ray inside is the same 2008 release.  They’ve upped the swag content but have just put the old disc in with all the new stuff. 

It does come in an oversized tin box with Ferrell emblazoned on it, but if you’re wanting a remaster or new special features on the disc – you’re getting coal this year.  Elf is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.85:1). 

Special features are numerous but from the previous DVD release.  They’re all in standard definition save for the films 2 minute theatrical trailer which is in high definition. 

First off are two commentary tracks: one track with Favreau and the second with Ferrell.  Next is 40 minutes of featurettes, 51 minutes of documentaries about the holiday season for the kids, 12 minutes of deleted/alternative scenes, a trivia track, and a feature that has an icon appear in the film that takes you to “Focus points” featurettes. 

There’s also a digital copy, but since this disc is from 2008 the code has expired – hilarious.  The tin contains the only new additions: a 5-track soundtrack CD sampler, a plush Elf holiday stocking, 15 gift tag stickers, and a magnetic Elf picture frame.

I like the movie, but if you already own it you don’t need this ultimate edition.  If you don’t own it and want to see it this Christmas you can get this one if the tin or the swag inside interests you.  Elf is a four star film but I’m going to give this release a rating down the middle.

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