Elf would have absolutely sucked without Will Ferrell. Which is to say that it was a bad movie except that Will Ferrell is so delightful and funny as a 6'4" man acting like a wide-eyed child/elf that you can't help but laugh a lot. I've fully embraced the idea of Ferrell as comedic genius, convinced that he can -- if he's careful not to do anymore movies directed by Jon Favreau -- avoid the fates of Adam Sandler (who only ever plays one character: the angry YELLING adolescent who grows up at the end of the film without losing any of his charming child-like qualities), Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, and many other former SNL cast members and mature into doing movies more on par with Bill Murray. Ferrell seems to me to have the potential to be more than just a comedian starring in his own vehicles (which Elf clearly was).
However, I fear that a more likely possibility will find America in theatres in winter 2005 watching Ferrell in Elf 2: They Drove a Dumptruck Full of Money Up to My House...
