Fred Claus

Christmas With the Kranks
$14.94
This a movie that you can watch in familiy, and has a beautifull message, "don't skip christmas, cause christmas is to share with your family"

Four Christmases
$28.98
This movie is like a Christmas fruitcake- you want to like it and it looks like it should be good but... could use more nuts ( funny moments) and definately more bourbon ( more feel good scenes) ...wish I had saved my dollars...even Vince could not pull this one off - get out your copy of Christmas Vacation for holiday laughs !

Elf (Infinifilm Edition)
$14.98
Elf (directed by Jon Favreau) is a lighthearted Christmas comedy that will suit the entire family. It should be on anyone's list of Christmas movies to watch.

Buddy (Will Ferrell) is an elf that lives in the North Pole and makes toys for Santa. There's one slight problem, though. He isn't small like the other elves or nearly as skilled at assembling toys. His father, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), admits to Buddy that he was adopted and that his real father lives in New York City. Buddy sets off to find his birth father (played by James Caan) and discovers much more along the way including a stepmother (Mary Steenburgen), half-brother (Daniel Tay), possible crush (Zooey Deschanel) and the true meaning of Christmas.

Ferrell plays a child well. Buddy has no idea how to act around people that aren't constructing toys for Santa. He embodies the joys of Christmas time and displays Buddy's innocence of the world around him well. In my opinion this is one of Ferrell's best movies. It's impossible not to smile during a scene he is in.

Deschanel meshes with Ferell nicely and the two have great chemistry. Her lovely, jazzy voice reminiscent of the 40s also adds a pleasant touch. When she is singing Christmas songs in the shower and at the end of the movie, it's simply magical. Ferrell's voice isn't to bad either.

The movie presents a good message that both children and adults can appreciate. Believing in Santa requires a leap of faith and we are reminded why it is so easy for children to take that leap. Elf warns us not to lose our imaginations as we grow older and that family and friends are the most important things in the world. Buddy's real father, Walter, finally manages to grasp this idea at the end of the film and I'm happy that he does.

The dialogue, jokes and themes are executed well by the director. Ferrell's innocence never gets tiresome and his reactions to life in New York City are hilarious. His views on life are a breath of fresh air and makes me wish I could see the world through his eyes.

Elf is a movie that you can watch during anytime of the year. It's incredibly sweet and the entire cast is fantastic in their acting roles. The message of holiday cheer shines through in this film and generates laughs at the same time.

Fred Claus [Blu-ray]
$35.99
After watching this movie I realized I had not laughed once, and that's rare for me. There are other 'modern' Christmas movies that carry off the sarcastic side of Christmas without letting cynicism sink it to this kind of low. Kevin Spacey, a phenomenal actor, was given a banal bit part which he tried his best to carry off, that of an efficiency expert who carries Santa's "pink slip" in his pocket. Paul Giamatti and Vince Vaughn played it very convincingly, but the creative talents of Rachel Weisz and Miranda Richardson had no place in which to shine. The ending did nothing to lift spirits, and it was frankly weird when at the end Fred and Nick's mother implies that her own son (Fred) is a little outclassed by his love interest, who plays a meter maid (Rachel Weisz). What kind of mother says that about her own son (even in real life), especially after he just saves Christmas?