Connor Bynum // Film Critic
ELF
Believe it or not, the movie ELF is almost old enough to add some holiday cheer to its egg nog. Released all the way back in 2003, the film is now a whopping nineteen years old, and an entirely new generation of movie lovers can rediscover their Christmas spirit in 4K UHD.
Movie Grade: B+
ELF follows the story of a wide-eyed young man who is an even wider eyed little boy at heart named Buddy (Will Ferrell). Abandoned at an orphanage as a baby, Buddy crawls his way to the magical gift bag of the one and only Santa Claus (Ed Asner) and makes it all the way to the North Pole before being discovered. Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), who also serves as the film’s narrator, decides to adopt young Buddy and raise him as his own. However, it’s not until Buddy is fully grown and in his 30s that the world’s most obvious secret is finally revealed to him: Buddy is a human. Our lovable hero then decides to go on a quest to the magical land of New York City in search of his biological father, Walter (James Caan).
On the surface, ELF seems like a standard forgettable holiday flick that only got made because somebody in Hollywood lost a bet. But there’s a surprising amount of charm and holiday sincerity to be found in the film that has clearly resonated with audiences over the years. Director Jon Favreau succeeds by embracing the inevitable holiday schlock that comes with the territory for films like this. But the real reason the film works so well is undoubtedly Will Ferrell’s committed performance to play the most innocent person who ever lived. There isn’t a fiber in his being that doesn’t want to give a hug to every person he meets or go out of his way to bring joy into their lives.
It is indeed a rare feat for a Christmas film released after the turn of the century to join the ranks of HOME ALONE and THE SANTA CLAUSE and earns the distinguished title of “Modern Christmas Classic,” but ELF has stood the test of time thus far and likely will for many more years to come.
Video/ Audio Grade: B
While it may not be the first title that comes to mind when discussing standout releases on 4K UHD, ELF is a perfectly serviceable addition to the format, if not somewhat superfluous to home theater enthusiasts. Originally captured on 35mm film, this disc film is presented in a native 4K resolution which is certainly commendable for a 2003 holiday comedy. Additionally, this release features the film’s original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, which fills a notable amount of the screen’s vertical space compared to the 1.78:1 ratio of all previous releases.
Having been captured on 35mm, there is a fair amount of grain on the screen, which purists will certainly appreciate but of course this look is not for everyone. In general, there is a reasonable uptick in quality over the 2008 Blu-ray release, but understand that this is by no means a reference quality disc.
The disc naturally includes HDR10, which generally makes colors stand out a bit more. Still, given that it predominantly takes place in a snow-filled Manhattan, the film’s color palette is primarily filled with grays and whites, with the occasional splash of green to spruce things up. Buddy’s iconic green jacket and yellow hat naturally stick out like a red-nosed reindeer but occasionally also feel somewhat muted, which is frankly a little disappointing.
Lastly, this new release features a remastered Dolby DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio track that plays a little safe for the most part. The snowball fight scene about halfway through the movie has some fun with the side channels that give off the effect of enemy fire whooshing and impacting all around the viewer, but for the most part, this is a dialogue driven comedy and the audio mix can only do so much. With that in mind, I can’t say I’m disappointed or even that surprised by the absence of an Atmos track or even a DTS HD 7.1 mix.
Extras Grade: C+
As is tradition, all bonus features are recycled from the previous Blu-ray release, and except for two audio commentary tracks, all are exclusive to the 1080p Blu-ray included in the case. However, those who don’t already own the Blu-ray will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of content included for a film like ELF. Lastly, a digital copy code is included in the package in addition to a glossy slipcover to round things out.
4K Disc (Movie and Bonus Features)
- Audio Commentary with Jon Favreau
- Audio Commentary with Will Ferrell
Blu-ray Disc (Movie and Bonus Features)
- Audio Commentary with Jon Favreau
- Audio Commentary with Will Ferrell
- Documentaries (9 in total)
- Tag Along with Will Ferrell (7:02)
- Film School for Kids (20:38)
- How They Made the North Pole (11:31)
- Lights, Camera, Puffin! (6:37)
- That’s a Wrap… (12:13)
- Kids on Christmas (6:32)
- Deck the Halls (10:26)
- Santa Mania (6:30)
- Christmas in Tinseltown (6:51)
- Fact Track – Pop-up trivia during the main feature
- Focus Points – Bite-sized featurettes accessible during the film
- Elf Karaoke (3 songs, 4:37 total)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:30)
- Deleted/Alternate Scenes (8 clips, 11:30 total)
Final Grade: B
Owners of the 2008 Blu-ray may appreciate the visual improvement with this new release, but then again, visual quality was never the reason the movie was popular. If you like ELF, you probably like it because it’s funny and sweet, not because it looks good. So it’s hard to recommend double dipping on this one. But for anyone who does not yet have ELF on their shelf, be sure to add this to your list.
