I have to agree. I don't know how this movie has become the pinnacle of holiday viewing in the last 15 years, standing alongside (and perhaps above) Home Alone, A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. My first viewing came last year followed by a repeat viewing this year. As a holiday watch, it's OK, but it's nowhere near the classic it's made out to be, and features the quintessential annoying Will Ferrell performance.

Yes, Will nails the character he is supposed to be playing, in just a fun movie.

Tom Green nails the role he is supposed to be playing in Freddy Got Fingered. Doesn't mean it's good.

If you read the whole sentence, I said in a fun movie....which is kind of an important detail.

And Freddy sucked so I don't really care anything about it, as it was a very disgusting movie.

And since you need everything spoon fed to you, the thing that I liked about Will in Elf, was the navity, surprise and joy that he exhibited throughout the movie.

Yes the navity was aces.

Will Ferrell can be annoying at times, but as Ecksy pointed out, this is the pinnacle of him being a nuisance.

Ferrell, like Adam Sandler, is a love-hate actor for me. I don't hate either at all, they star in some of my favorite movies and their performances are accordingly strong. But too often they slip into these annoying characters that paint them as lacking in talent. But those are the movies that do well, so what can I say? I'm in the minority.

I guess that shows my navity.

"Some of my favorite movies" is a slight stretch there for both. But there are movies from both that I like a lot.

I was positive-to-mixed on this when it first opened (the final act was way too syrupy for me), but on repeat viewings I've come to forgive that and enjoy most of it. This is actually one of Ferrell's best performances, I think - it's him doing his man-child schtick, but with completely unfiltered innocence, and he commits to that like a pro. I guess that's make or break for many here, but it makes the movie for me.

And yes, Deschanel is mind-bogglingly hot here.

Well, we can at least wholeheartedly agree on that last sentence.

Per your lacking in talent, how was Will supposed to play the role?

For me, he did it perfectly?

OK, if it pleases you. To the best of his abilities, Will Ferrell did his best.

Can't believe the hate on this board. This movie is hilarious and a holiday classic.

To be fair, I'm in the minority here.

Without the RAPID holiday fanbase, this would be a pleasing Christmas film that I might get around to watching once a year.

Will Ferrell's best. He is funny here without being rude or crude. Very original and funny

A

Like Lewis Black in a room with a bowl of candy corn at Halloween, I come to find myself watching Elf every year despite knowing how I feel about it. Call me crazy but I actually enjoyed it a lot more this time around. I don't know if my mood is playing a part, but so many things I found annoying and disgracefully unfunny are actually cute, charming, and, dare I say it... funny.

I can definitely understand now where the love comes from. It's such a big movie with a big childlike heart, while it also features a lot to keep adults interested, including, but not limited to, Zooey Deschanel's hotness, Will Ferrell's goofiness, James Caan's crankiness and Peter Dinklage's Dinkiness.

For my favorite holiday viewing, I still rely on Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Scrooged, The Family Stone and Home Alone. But I gladly name Elf on the honorable mentions list, alongside Four Christmases, Jingle All The Way and Surviving Christmas.

I realize my honorable mentions list is chock-full of some major holiday dreck, but my dreck-meter takes a break for Christmas flicks. I have a soft spot for 'em.

This movie never did it for me, and I am a fan of Ferrell. I just do not find it very endearing, particularly once it leaves the North Pole.

It loses some magic when Caan kicks Ferrell out for calling The Dink an elf.

I really like how this has become a holiday classic, but I am not a fan of the film's climax in Central Park. Did Christmas really need to be saved? Couldn't this film have stayed more focused on Caan's character learning to accept his son.

I love this movie. But something bothered me. The James Caan character is not a nice person. But the film demonizes him for the work he has to do to keep his job. Is this job not important? Why does his family not value his career?

You do realize you can do work and have a family without screwing one over in the process.

If you're put in a situation where your work is taking over your life and ruining your family life, you should probably drop it.

His family supported him all the way until the end. He treated them like shit.

I just think it's unfair when men are portrayed as awful for attending to work needs and ignoring their loved ones, but women are praised because they are "empowered" and men just need to back off.

I've not seen this. I really should.

Oh go fuck off.

What a stupid thing to say. There are plenty of movies about women working too much. Probably the same amount where a man works too much.

Men have had decades of films about them having success in the workplace with no qualms from their family.