After several years on TV’s “Saturday Night Live”, Will Ferrell was ready (as so many SNL alumni are) to make the leap from the small screen to the big. He’d had some supporting parts in other movies, most notably in Todd Phillips’ Old School earlier in 2003; but it wasn’t until Elf that Ferrell really came into his own. Ferrell’s comedic talent is off the scale and he’s had me in stitches on more than one occasion. He’s got that kind of humor in which you really don’t know what will come out of his mouth next. Teaming up with director Jon Favreau was a smart move as well. Favreau has had some notable roles in front of the camera, but is most widely known for writing the indie-favorite “Swingers”. Ferrell’s humor and Favreau’s sometimes dark side combine to form a pretty entertaining movie and one that says a lot more about holiday spirit than others that prattle on about it. Deleted/Alternate Scenes (SD, 12 minutes) -- feature eight cuts and extensions that don't amount to much material, but it's an amusing collection that will give fans a few good laughs.

Focus Points (SD) -- is an interactive feature provides access to brief featurette clips and behind-the-scenes info any time an icon appears on screen The new HDR10 grade, by and large, offers its own usual brand of improvement but also leads to this transfer's only slight speed bump. First, the Fast approaching its 20th anniversary (!), Jon Favreau's Elf makes its debut on 4K with an impressive 2160p transfer that greatly improves appropriate boost such as the North Pole crew, big-city signage, and the colorful Christmas displays at Gimbels department store.This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with attractive new cover artwork (and a really tiny cast credit for the late, great The 4K disc includes its primary English audio in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio format. The soundstage is surprisingly big and wide up front, particularly for a comedy film—notably bigger and fuller sounding than the previous Blu-ray’s Dolby TrueHD mix—with crystal clear dialogue and a pleasing musicality. Tonally, the mix is robust and natural, with smooth panning, pleasing low end, and immersive use of the rear channels for score and ambience. This isn’t a blustery mix to be sure, but it definitely places you squarely in the middle of its various sonic environments. English Descriptive Audio is also available, as are additional mixes in French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Optional subtitles are included in English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, French, and Spanish.

more fine detail, texture, depth, film grain, and contrast levels to its workmanlike visuals, with the result standing as one of the more tangible reddish-orange shadows and, in extremely dark moments, this shift takes over almost completely and stands out a touch too strongly against the Then, of course, there's the "bonus" of finally having the film in its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio rather than the open-matte 1.78:1 version seen on the that linked review, but for some reason it still got a rather strong rating for picture quality). Sadly, that new 4K transfer is the only thing to get Production Featurettes (SD, 39 minutes) -- "Tag Along with Will Ferrell" follows the comedian on a typical day of shooting, "How They Made the North Pole" looks at the design and implementation of the arctic sets, "Lights Camera Puffin" examines the use of animation and special effects in the film, and "That's a Wrap" explores the various post-production work and efforts of the filmmakers.

Elf

Focus Points– You can essentially watch the above features while watching the film. I don’t know why anyone would, though. James Caan), a glossy matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption code. Since the included Blu-ray exactly matches its 2008 counterpart

As Buddy grows, his height and poor toy making skills begin to raise questions of who he really is. Seeing how frustrated Buddy was getting, Papa Elf takes Buddy on as his apprentice, and their first project together will be to make Santa's sled fly. Papa Elf added a jet engine to the sled which used to fly on Christmas spirit. However Christmas spirit has waned over the years, so its inclusion became necessary. After Buddy becomes so frustrated with events surrounding him, Papa Elf finally tells him he is adopted. Papa Elf tells Buddy who his real mother and father are, explains his mother death, and his father's current location. Determined to find his father, Buddy sets off for New York City.Blu-ray, even with bonus features, would have likely not required much of a sacrifice. But since the included Blu-ray -- which is where this review's almost expected for this kind of film -- but unfortunately keeps Elf from flirting more closely with perfection. Had WB included a

smaller displays in 2008. But it's great to see the candy-colored Elf get a hefty new 4K visual upgrade, one that brings out substantially Warner’s new Ultra HD release is a two-disc set that includes the film remastered in 4K on UHD as well as the previous 1080p HD on Blu-ray (the exact same disc released in 2008). Both discs including the following special features, carried over from previous releases: Buddy the Elf is without question Ferrell's most endearing portrayal. Though better known for raunchy humor in the Ron Burgundy vein, he fully embraces Buddy's wide-eyed innocence, genial nature, and limitless capacity for love. He and Deschanel mesh well together, but it's Ferrell's chemistry with the crusty Caan that really fuels the film. Of course, Caan's recent death made this year's viewing of Elf bittersweet, but it also added more resonance to the actor's low-key, finely nuanced performance. Though his turns in The Godfather, Brian's Song, Thief, and Miserywill alwaysoutshine his work in Elf, Caan brings his patented tough-tender persona to the role and tempers Ferrell's lunacy. of noise reduction allowing costume textures, close-up details, and wide shots to earn much higher visibility, with most colors also getting anDisc encoding is very good with no visible compression artifacts thanks to the film getting its own 66GB disc, although a newly-mastered 50GB Buddy (Will Ferrell) is different from all of Santa's other elves. For one thing, he's a "cotton-headed ninny muggins" when it comes to making toys. For another, he's 6'3". And the real clincher: He's human! So one special December, Buddy sets off on a holiday adventure to New York CIty in search of his real dad. How buddy finds his father (James Caan) and the meaning of Christmas is a joyous, jaunty, sweet-as-a-candy-cane gift for everyone. I have to admit that “Elf” impressed me a bit. I wasn’t too sure what to think when it was released last year, though it became a financial success of the season. Elf contains enough laughs to warrant repeat viewings and it’s suitable for children and adults. The casting is right on the money and even the implied messages are wholesome without being overly corny. For those looking for a new holiday movie and are tired of seeing It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story and Miracle on 34th Street year after year, Elf might be a fresh holiday movie that’s sure to delight. Video: How does it look?