Elf

I think everyone who saw the trailers for Elf felt some trepidation at the idea. Will Ferrell is an incredibly funny guy when he's on (Austin Powers, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), but there's the Saturday Night Live curse with which to contend. A Night at the Roxbury is an easy target, but I don't recall anyone raving about Superstar either. So the question looms: can Ferrell carry a film by himself?

In this case at least, the answer is a resounding yes. Elf is one of the few modern Christmas films since A Christmas Story to venture into feel-good territory without becoming too treacly. There's a lot of stuff going on in this film, and some of the storylines feel underdeveloped, but Ferrell is a delight and Zooey Deschanel's singing voice is reason enough to buy a ticket. The shower scene is one of the gentlest and most charming scenes to come out of Hollywood in some time. Kudos to Jon Favreau (who cameos as a doctor) for creating a Christmas film that will become a staple of the season.

And damn if Ed Asner doesn't make a great Santa Claus.