It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and we have Will Ferrell to thank.

Ferrell's Elf is a delightful Christmas fable filled with candy-coated laughs for the whole family.

Ferrell is Buddy, a 30-year-old human who has been raised in Santa's workshop thinking he's an elf.

The infant Buddy crawled into Santa's toy sack during the jolly old man's visit to an orphanage.

Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), who agreed to raise the baby as his stepson, acts as the film's narrator.

Newhart's deadpanning is worth the price of admission. He tells this most outrageous tall tale without a hint of excitement or disbelief.

What adds to the hilarity is that Buddy towers over everyone in the workshop, a feat accomplished using old-style forced perspective and miniaturized set pieces.

It's a much warmer, fun technique than cold computer graphics.

In keeping with the magical aspect of the North Pole, there's a talking snowman, a trio of odd creatures and a candy cane forest.

When Buddy learns he has a human father in New York, he sets out for the Big Apple for what he assumes will be a wonderful warm reunion.

Obviously Buddy hasn't read How the Grinch Stole Christmas or A Christmas Carol.

His real papa, Walter (James Caan), is a mean-spirited cross between Scrooge and the Grinch. He works too hard and has a tiny heart.

It's up to Buddy to break the ice and warm up the old meanie, which he eventually does to no one's surprise, but everyone's delight.

There are no real surprises in Elf. It's a story about rediscovering the spirit of Christmas.

Papa Elf has had to devise a high-powered engine for Santa's sleigh because it was originally powered by Christmas spirit and so few people believe in Santa (Ed Asner) any more that without the engine, the sleigh can't even get off the ground.

This leads to a moment straight out of Peter Pan in which New Yorkers are asked to believe in Santa and sing Christmas carols in order to power the sleigh once more.

These age-old gimmicks work so well because Ferrell is so believably naive as Buddy. He's like a child trapped in the body of a giant.

Children love that Buddy puts syrup and candy on his spaghetti, beautifies every room he enters with Christmas decorations he makes and finds thrills in the simplest of activities.

Ferrell has an excellent supporting cast in Asner, Newhart, Caan, Zooey Deschanel as a department store elf and Mary Steenburgen and Daniel Tay as Buddy's stepmother and stepbrother.

Elf is a timeless tale simply, but well told, that should be released each year to help get us in the holiday spirit to prevent Santa's sleigh from ever being grounded.

(This film is rated G)

More Movie Reviews