Director Jon Favreau's sweet seasonal comedy relies entirely on the talents of Will Ferrell, who plays Buddy, a fully grown adult raised from a baby by Santa's little helpers. Now too clumsy and outsized - by elf standards - to assist with present creation and testing, Buddy discovers the existence of his birth father (James Caan in full-bore Scrooge mode) and heads for New York. Despite modern effects trickery that has created pint-sized toymakers and flying reindeer, this strives for the feel of vintage Disney through twee settings and storybook narration from Buddy's surrogate dad, Bob Newhart. Dressed in a snug green outfit throughout and dispensing decorations, sugary snacks and a beaming grin, Ferrell is the life and soul of an otherwise unexceptional Christmas celebration.

When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve, he's transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic.