On Peacock, we streamed Mr Monk’s Last Case.
OMG, it was awful. So bad, so very, very bad. And this is from someone who loved the series. Neither me or my wife could finish it.
but then we streamed Air. Not perfect, but very enjoyable.
We watched Barbie last night, and I wish I’d seen it sooner so fewer of the jokes would have been spoilered for me. However, I had forgotten I knew what the last line of the movie was, and I LOL’d. Very enjoyable.
Watched Violent Night this afternoon on Prime. It was fine. I enjoyed it, but I doubt it’s going to make the annual holiday rotation. It was somehow too over the top, while simultaneously being not quite over the top enough. It was a good attempt though, even if it didn’t quite hit the mark. 
Elf 2003
I’m usually not a Will Ferrell fan. I started by watching several How It’s Made features on YouTube. The interesting production with Forced Perspective to create the shots of the Elves including (Papa Elf, Bob Newhart) caught my attention.
The clincher was this 5 min video of Ferrell shooting on NY streets. If he’s brave enough to do that in yellow tights and pointy shoes with a small film crew; then I needed to buckle up & go along for the ride.
Link https://youtu.be/rYPJYxEoPCg?si=naS4xPOXEbIlyrMU
Overall it is a good movie. I would have liked a few less cringe moments when Buddy the Elf is such a fish out of water dufus. But it’s intended for kids and they love that material.
The casting is so off the wall. Ed Asner as Santa? What?? That grouchy guy? It worked. He’s believable.
Peter Dinklage. OMG I knew instantly how that scene would play. Hilarious
Highly recommend. Park your adult cynicism and give this movie a try.
Family Plan, a Mark Wahlberg joint in which he’s a retired assassin on the run with his family while trying to hide what’s happening from them. Inevitably stupid, but some good actors and decent wisecracking made it a solid 6/10. Not recommended, but not recommended against either.
Yep to you’re entire review. I’m not a Will Ferrell fan, but this one movie of his is perfect. It’s on our family watchlist each Christmastime.
Disagree. I can’t stand his overacting. I suffer through this every year because my family loves it. The only Will Ferrell movie I like is Stranger Than Fiction, where he plays it straight.
I am also not a fan and find this movie amusing. I think it might be a bit overrated and I am in the thin minority who didn’t like the Peter Dinklage scene. I know Dinklage agreed to be mistaken for an elf, but I wish that scene was not in the movie.
Anyway, it’s a cute movie.
Edit: If you would like to see my hypocricy, but I didn’t mind the little person jokes in Bad Santa. It felt like the type of movie that insults everyone.
I wanted to confirm Elf wasn’t some quickie comedy made to fatten Will’s wallet. A forgettable film that was busted out in a few weeks.
The director and producers put a lot of thought into getting it right. The casting was unusually good with Bob Newhart, James Cann, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Ashner. These are veteran actors that choose their projects carefully. I’m surprised Peter Dinklage took the angry Elf role. I guess he appreciated the humor and getting to kick Will’s butt.
Will comments that he was initially unsure about the role. That the costume could get him mocked by critics for years.
It’s a rare time when schmaltz and schtick works.
He mentions in a interview that he shaved several times a day to achieve the baby-fresh Elf face.
I will also give him credit that they offered him a lot of money for a sequel and he chose not to since it would never be as good and would drag it down.
I agree completely, and the affect of this guy acting this way is accentuated by his body of work. He plays it so straight the crazy around him is accentuated because he is not his typical self but that is the role the audience expects.
Robin Williams in One Hour Photo and Insomnia was so much more creepy because it’s the same dude that stared in Toys and Hook.
I wish Will Ferrell did more non-comedy movies. He couldn’t do Elf 2, but is in a lot of movies I would not be proud of.
I loved this movie. And I like Elf. And I like Will Ferrell. Re: Stranger Than Fiction, I love when good comedians in serious roles just slay it. Like Steve Carrell in Dan in Real Life and The Big Short. And Robin Williams in World’s Greatest Dad.
I like Will Ferrell - I’ll watch Anchorman or RIcky Bobby or any of those farces anytime, but I have no interest in watching Elf. I get the feeling I already know all the high points just from trailers and context and I just can’t take any earnest Christmas movie like I’m supposed to be filled with a bunch of warm cockles just because it’s late December. Give me Bad Santa or Violent Night for seasons greetings.
I’m looking forward to our annual Scrooged viewing soon, which is earnest but well-earned, IMO.
I agree with your disagree. He was the worst thing in the Barbie movie, and, man, does he overact. Any potential funny is pulverized and left for dead. I also like Stranger than Fiction.
My favorite Carrell straight role is in Little Miss Sunshine.
I almost mentioned that one too, but Dan in Real Life is a romance story, and I’m a sucker for those. It’s rarely done as well as it was in that film.
I know it’s one of those films that didn’t do well but a lot of people like. I’ll have to look for it.
I don’t hate romance movies, but the overwhelming majority are either so glurgy or so twee that I sprain my eyeballs rolling them.
If you’ll forgive a little spoiler of the premise, it’s about a deeply depressed widower who
falls in love with his brother’s fiance and it isn’t played for laughs. There are definitely funny parts, but it’s very poignant as well. I understand why it may not be popular. It doesn’t have a standard romcom tone.
I love romance, but movies don’t usually do it for me, and I’m hard on books too. One I enjoyed that was neither glurgy nor twee was Sleeping With Other People.
ETA: Holy crap, I had no idea that was Jason Sudeikis.
He played a respected author of children’s books who was mistaken for an angry Elf. I think that’s a somewhat significant distinction.