Comedy Video Search

If you're searching for a comedy video to watch with a group of friends, you'll probably find it difficult to find one title that can make everyone laugh. However, there are a few popular DVD rentals that have a good chance of winning laughs across the board.

"Elf," starring Saturday Night Live alumnus Will Ferrell, may look like a standard children's holiday movie, but, at least among my friends and family, this hilarious DVD seems to have a universal appeal. Directed by John Farvuea, "Elf" tells the story of Buddy (Ferrell), an orphan who was raised by elves after falling into Santa's bag as an infant. As Buddy grows up he fails to grasp that he is a human, despite the fact that he has towered over all of his elf companions since childhood. When his adoptive elf father (played by Bob Newhart, who also narrates the film) finally comes clean about his human roots, Buddy decides to travel to New York City to meet his biological father.

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In anyone else's hands, "Elf" might not have worked, but Ferrell's hilarious portrayal of Buddy makes this a movie that all ages can enjoy. Buddy travels from a fantastical and stylized North Pole that features talking animals and snowmen, and candy cane trees, all the way to New York's Lincoln Tunnel, excited about the prospect of connecting with his real dad--who turns out to be a gruff publishing executive, played by James Cahn. When Santa reveals to Buddy that his birth father is on the notorious "naughty" list, Buddy sets out to get him back in Santa's good graces.

Cahn believes that his elf-garbed long lost son is insane, and reluctantly tries to help him adjust to normal life. However, Buddy accidentally lands a job as a department store elf, where he, among other mishaps, gets into a scuffle with the store Santa, who he denounces as an impostor in front of the children. Ferrell's blissfully naïve Buddy is hilarious in every scene, cheerfully oblivious as to how out of place a six-foot elf appears on the city streets.