Will Ferrell's elf-portrait is not only funny, but it has got a big heart, too. The former SNL dude plays Buddy the Elf, a human raised at Santa's pad who heads to Manhattan to find his biological father, a grinchy James Caan. When Ferrell lands in the Big Apple and connects with his human family, his oddball humor is intact, but he doesn't overdo it.
Instead, he dishes out sweet comedic gems that are only disrupted by a shoehorned-in romance with Zooey Deschanel. Though a little more mildly paced and breezy than you might expect, this isn't a stretched-out skit either. So, when the sappy-sweet group-sing-along ending comes along, you'll feel the warmth of the holiday spirit burning bright through your cockles. And any time of year, that feels pretty darn sweet.