“Mmm….I look good, I mean really good. Hey everyone come and see how good I look!”

While admiring himself before going live to San Diego.

“Lanolin? Lanolin? Like sheep's wool?”

While trying to pick up one of the floor managers in the studio and misinterpreting her name.

“Unique New York. Unique New York.”

A warm up line while preparing to read the news.

“I love scotch. I love scotch. Scotchy, scotchy, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly.”

Drinking his favourite drink right before going live.

“The arsonist has oddly shaped feet.”

Again, a warm up line in preparation for reading the news.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story and I need all of you to stop what you're doing and listen……Cannonball!”

Showing off to party goers at a typical 70's pool party.

“You have an absolutely breathtaking…hiney. I wanna be friends with it.”

A line he uses to try and seduce Veronica Corningstone.

“I wanna be on you.”

Right after humiliating himself in front of Veronica and trying to make up for it.

“Well I could be wrong but I believe "diversity" was an old, old, wooden ship used during the civil war error.”

Explaining the meaning of the word diversity to his fellow news staff after his boss uses it.

“Oh it's a deep burn! Oh it's so deep. Oh I can barely lift my right arm cos I did so many. I don't know if you heard me counting. I did over a thousand.”

Showing Veronica how great his physique while lifting dumbbells.

“Veronica Corningstone and I had sex and now we're in love. Did I say that out loud?”

After agreeing to not share their new found love with anyone else.

“I'm gonna punch you in the ovaries.”

Right before a fight with Veronica.

“You are a smelly pirate hooker.”

“Why don't you go back to your home on wh*re island?”

“You have a dirty wh*reish mouth.”

“Knights of Columbus that hurt.”

The finale to the "bitch" fight between himself and Veronica after she reads the news and not him, and hits him with a television aerial.

“Brick I been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safe haven or a relative close by, lay low for a while because you're probably wanted for murder.”

After a fight with the rival news teams where Brick, Ron's inept weatherman, killed a guy on a horse using a trident.

“Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Deaago, which of course in German means…a whale's vagina.”

Explaining to Veronica how the city of San Diego was founded.

“I'm Ron Burgundy; go f*ck yourselves San Diego.”

Reading exactly what's on the teleprompter no matter what, after Veronica changes the words on him.

“Great Odens Raven”

After learning what he has said on live television.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is full of laughs if you love quirky and bizarre plots accompanied by even more bizarre but legendary one liners. For maximum enjoyment and understanding, the second viewing is almost certainly better.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Trailor

There was a point, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when audiences loved the tongue in cheek portrayals of the everyday that Ferrell’s films appeared to delight in. Ferrell became known for characters that appeared innocent, but were actually ignorant of social mores and popular culture. These characters ranged from Frank “the Tank” Ricard in Old School to Chazz Michael Michaels in Blades of Glory. Although these characters stretched audience credulity and the films storylines were often absurd, this was why we loved Ferrell. He appeared to be a child stumbling through life in the body of a grown man.

But as Ferrell himself as got older, his man-child act is no longer as endearing as it was. I Ferrell’s character in Step Brothers, Brennan Huff, was hard to relate to, he appeared to be his own worst enemy and showed no interest in trying to get out of the rut that he had somehow found himself in. Instead of acting like an adult, Brennan seemed to have stopped maturing at around age 12 and was perfectly content to remain at that age, wearing Chewbacca masks and constructing bunk beds from two double beds. I will grant that there were some funny moments in the film, but overall I came out of the cinema faintly embarrassed.

Ferrell appeared to try to move away from the stoner comedy with Stranger than Fiction (2006) which balanced out his other film of 2006, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Stranger than Fiction was a new turn for Ferrell. His character, Harold Crick, was a man who was vaguely unhappy with his job as an auditor for the IRS, but showed no willingness to change it until a slightly surreal chain of events are set in motion from Crick’s realisation that his life is being narrated by Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), a woman who is writing a book about a character that just so happens to be named Harold Crick. Ferrell managed to understate Crick, and for the first time since he shot to stardom with Old School, create a character that was endearing for his normality as opposed to his status as an oddball. Ian Freer, of Empire Magazine says; “Avoiding Frat Pack-style schtick, Will Ferrell is initially unnerving as the buttoned-down automaton, but he successfully nails each of Crick’s emotional states (bewilderment, anxiety, uplifting liberation) as the accountant’s existence blossoms and he starts to live the life he wants”.

Although Stranger than Fiction’s ending was almost universally denounced as annoying, it was a film which allowed Ferrell to show off his talents as a “straight” actor, and it appeared that from here he was going to move from farce to if not tragedy, then at least tragic-comedy. This did not happen. Ferrell followed up Stranger than Fiction with Talladega Nights, which followed on from the Anchorman school of comedy. Talladega Nights appeared to herald Ferrell’s descent into the farcical sports movie. Talladega Nights was followed by ice skating movie, Blades of Glory in 2007 and Semi Pro, a film about basketball in 2008. Ferrell had already tackled the idea of soccer in Kicking and Screaming (2005).

What is most disturbing about Ferrell’s inability to move on from the types of roles that made him famous, however, is the fact that he appears to be taking John C. Reilly down with him. John C. Reilly first came to fame in Brian DePalma’s Vietnam War drama Casualties of War (1989) and worked steadily as a character actor in films such as Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999) and Chicago (2002). Reilly was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002 for his portrayal of Amos Hart in Chicago. Reilly was not well known for his comic roles, although he played the Sasquatch in Tenacious D’s HBO show in 1999 and made a cameo in Anger Management (2003), until he paired with Will Ferrell in Talladega Nights. Reilly’s character, Cal Naughton Jr, was the equally idiotic sidekick to Ferrell’s Ricky Bobby. The two bounced off each other well, and Reilly got to show off his comedic timing, as Dan Jolin of Empire Magazine says; “John C. Reilly proves himself a ‘straight’ actor with surprising comedy-improvisational talents”.

Sadly, John C. Reilly does not seem to know when to leave well enough alone. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story attempted to parody the rock biopic which has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity with films such as The Doors (1991), Ray (2004) and Walk the Line (2005) and while the film managed, as Damon Wise of Empire Magazine said, to “put a ten-megaton bomb under the clichéd rock biopic”, somehow, the bomb managed not to go off. After Walk Hard received mixed reviews, Reilly delved further into comedy, rather than return to the realm of offbeat character acting which he was known for.

Reilly once again paired up with Will Ferrell in Step Brothers. Reilly did not appear to be aware that this film was a total misfire. The issue of why these men, Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Reilly), never left home is barely touched on, instead the film shies away from social comment and tries very hard to make the audience laugh. It is precisely this struggle to create humour that works against the film and kills any spontaneous laughter, as the audience almost feels like they are waiting for the next joke, a joke that rarely lives up to its build up.

Ferrell also must realise that he has spawned a new generation of actors who are following in his footsteps, specifically, Seth Rogen. Rogen rose to fame in a similar way to Ferrell – through memorable cameos and small parts in films such as Anchorman and The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005). Rogen shot to fame with Knocked Up (2007) and continued to rise with the self-penned Superbad (2007). Unlike Ferrell, however, it appears that Rogen is conscious of being typecast and in order to avoid this, he is making conscious decisions that steer him clear of characters and films similar to those that he has already done.

Ferrell needs to take a leaf from Rogen’s book and realise that he is stereotyping himself with comedic characters that do not always work. Anchorman worked because of its hyper realistic setting in a gender biased newsroom and because no one knew what to expect from a film with Ferrell in the leading role. Now we do know what Ferrell can do, and he is simply not doing it. The remake of Land of the Lost is Ferrell’s next film due to be released. After that, he needs to sit down, work out how to engage audiences who are bored of his man-child act and tighten his grip on comedy, a grip that has been steadily loosening since Anchorman.

Ferrell quickly becomes tiresome as the preening, egomaniacal player/coach/owner of the Flint Tropics, a semi-pro basketball team.  Perhaps the funniest scene of the movie is the opening, where Ferrell's character Jackie Moon introduces the team and then serenades the crowd with his trademark song, "Love Me Sexy".  The play-by-play announcers for the team offer some mild comic relief as they jab at one another but the movie quickly goes downhill from here.

The team is bad, mostly because of Jackie, and they soon receive news that the team will be dissolved unless they can turn things around attendance-wise and win the championship.  The rest of the movie showcases Jackie's efforts to fill the seats and win games, which includes recruting a former star player (Harrelson).  Harrelson and Ferrel never find anything remotely close to chemistry with one another and a divergent plot including Harrelson and a former flame (Maura Tierney) just adds to the muck.

At its best the movie can be thought of as a variety of skits strung together as Jackie Moon pursues one wacky idea after another to save his team - unfortunately none of these "skits" even by themselves is worth the time invested.

2 out of 5 stars

Step Brothers was thoroughly disappointing to me because I am a fan of both Will Ferrell and John C. Rilley. I thought they were magic in Talladega Nights. I expected this movie to have that same chemistry, but it simply was not there.

Nothing about any of the characters in Step Brothers was believable. I could not wrap my mind around two men nearing their 40's living at home, out of work, and acting like juvenile's when their parents married. I wanted it to be funny. I really did. I kept thinking with two such great comic actors that the movie would get better, but it didn't.

I never laughed and the bickering of the two main characters behaving like 12 year olds made me uncomfortable. I love stupid funny, but this was just plain stupid. So, I walked out.

If you are a glutton for punishment, watch the movie trailer.

The basic premise of the film follows your standard sports/comedy template;Set in the funk-filled 70's this Rag-Tag team is given the opportunity to become pro when the A.B.A. merges with the NBA, needing to up their game they enlist in the help of a champion A.B.A. player whom they traded a washing machine for,(aptly played by Woody Harrelson) Mayhem ensues in between this and the championship game for all the marbles. Pretty Standard stuff, already boring the shit out of me. The movie starts out as any other, with character and situation development that moves at a pace that is to the point and filled with many subtle funny moments; such as Will's trademark oblivious and excessive profanity, and over-the-top wild actions.

Yet it has a refreshing originality that is made so great by the tremendous power of the supporting cast. Andre Benjamin and Woody Harrelson give the movie a serious acting boost while still maintaining a fun and entertaining undertone, the game announcers played by the hilarious Will Arnette and Andrew Daly fill in the sport aspect with perfectly timed banter comedy and cameos from greats such as Tim Meadows, and Andy Richter ice this cake nicely. Like any movie of course there is the romantic aspect which in my opinion ruins the majority of comedy movies, but this one is well played by Maura Tierney as Woody Harrelson's love interest, and the corny romantics are broken up beautifully by the comedy genius of Rob Cordry.

The film begins to lose momentum after about an hour like any comedy, but picks up nicely and very quickly to get to the funny and definitely heartwarming/feel good ending. All in all I would have to say it was the better of the recent string of Will Ferrell movies, and definitely a comedic gem for anyone looking for some mindless fun.

4 out of 5

The ideal Christmas movie for the 'too busy' people who are just too busy to enjoy the season and be happy. Having New York city as the setting for Buddy, the 'gigantic' elf, played by Will Ferrell, who is on the hunt for his human dad, was already a straight to the point message of many working people nowadays ignoring the essence of Christmas.

The movie is very lighthearted all throughout and even tear jerking in the end. Will Ferrell's gift for superb acting was displayed as he portrayed the role of a confused elf. He got it all thumbs up with his childlike gestures, dialogues, and throwing of lines. At one point in the film, he also showed his singing talent when he blended magnificently with his love interest in the film.

The message of the movie is highlighting that even the smallest, kindest deeds of just singing together, snuggling, or even holding hands while crossing the street brings greater warmth between people and moves us closer to a higher sense of purpose as individuals and families.

Whether you're an elf or a human, you need love.

Buddy decided to travel to New York City to see his biological dad, Walter (played by James Clan). On his journey buddy completely dressed up like an elf walks down town to find his dad office to find him very stressed out and didn't believe buddy was his son. Finding himself in a toy store ended up admiring employee at the toy store named Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). Buddy heard that Santa was coming tomorrow and pulls an all-nighter decorating the store.
Walter discovering that buddy was his biological son. Buddy meets Walters' wife and other son Michael soon appreciating buddy. Michael soon appreciating Buddy after buddy helped Michael fight off the bad kids in a classic snow ball fight.

The actor Will Ferrell has also filmed in other movies such as Saturday Night Live, Old school or some of his recent films are Blades of Glory and Talladega Nights. Movies Farrell has acted in were for all ages and Elf is also in for all ages.

The  main character Will Ferrell playing Buddy displays his humor by drinking two-litre pops getting in snowball fights, dancing in the lettering system, stuffing his face with candy.
This movie is a great movie for Christmas time since the movie takes place during Christmas time. Is a great movie for family who like a good laugh around Christmas time.

In Fiction, Will Ferrell, giving a straight performance with no clowning, plays Harold Crick, a tax man who lives a very calculated life (to the point where he counts his brush strokes). One day, he starts hearing a voice inside his head. Someone is narrating his life- that someone is Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), an acclaimed author who is suffering from a ten-year long string of writer's block. The woman is a third-person omniscient narrator, so she knows everything about Harold, even about the crush he develops for baker Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal). It's a strange but harmless nuisance…but little does he know that he's going to die!

There is a secondary plot that follows Karen as she tries to bring Harold to the pages, all the while being pestered by her publisher Penny Escher (Queen Latifah). A person who never thinks twice about killing off a fictional character, she cannot seem to find the perfect death for her newest hero.

When it comes to a high-concept film like this, the real star is the writer. Zach Helm has written a script that is smart, but never beyond comprehension. There is never a moment when someone needs to go off on a monologue to keep the audience caught up. The film is rich with subtleties (for example, all of the characters are named after mathematicians and philosophers, except for Escher, who's named after a painter). A film student would find Fiction a joy to take apart and analyze, but such a task is not necessary to enjoy it. It is refreshing to see that, in a world where most intellectual films speak high and with big words, there is a film that succeeds in keeping it simple.

The performances are strong all around. As mentioned before, a different Will Ferrell is seen here. Harold is a real person, not a character like Ron Burgundy of Anchorman. He shows a lot of range here, capable of playing a quiet, unhappy man without walking around with a big frown on his face. Maggie Gyllenhaal relishes playing the anarchist Ana. At first, she's very bitter, but then you can tell that she's coyly opening up to Harold. Emma Thompson is great as the troubled writer fascinated by death. There is also strong supporting work by Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman (as literature professor Jules Hilbert, who is given the strange task of dealing with Crick).

Much like Michael Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Bob Fosse's All That Jazz, Stranger Than Fiction seems like a film that seems too “arty” for the mainstream movie-goer. However, despite its playing bend on reality and slightly cynical study of literature, it is a film that is easy on the mind. Writer Zach Helm and director Marc Forster are not trying to force brilliant ideas onto the audience. Their goal is to make an excellent comedy-drama. Which they did.

Among those many questions the film asks as it views the nature of one man’s existence as a blueprint, perhaps for all of us: what is the purpose of our lives, are we responsible for our happiness, is there a destiny or can we control our fate, what do we owe each other, what do we owe art and most important, what do we owe ourselves?

Crick’s lonely, solitary days as a possibly obsessive compulsive, robotic IRS agent with no love or life in his life end when his wristwatch stops working and decides to tilt Harold’s world on its side, as if with a sudden sweep of the second hand.

Without warning signs to prepare Crick for the extreme changes he is about to experience as Emma Thompson’s novelist --suffering from a terrible case of writer’s block—begins to “narrate” his life back to him, tracking every moment of his existence, counting the brush strokes he makes while brushing his teeth, making him aware of every aspect of his now-examined life. Thompson’s miserable novelist Karen Eiffel, battling a monstrous case of writer’s block , is known for only writing tragedies, a fact that Crick learns from a literary theorist (Dustin Hoffman as Jules Hilbert) who helps Crick understand his place in literary history and realize that his death is imminent. But Crick realizes there is a tragic irony in his death, as he falls in love with Gyllenhaal’s delicious pastry chef Ana Pascal, (whom he meets when he begins to audit her tax return;) Ana’s breezy revolutionary baker teaches him the anarchy of love (as it takes over his life and forces him to change) as well as the mysteries and simple pleasures of milk and cookies and for the first time in his life, he is truly awake and alive, daring to live his life fully. His love for his Ana removes his need for crutches and counted brushstrokes at the same time that his “life” clock begins to tick loudly.

Except for many scenes in which the boom mic is prominent, I found almost every frame of this small, thoughtful film irrresistable. (In retrospect, I can’t help but wonder if the mic being left in the frame is just a mistake; perhaps it is not relevant that the mic appears only in scenes where the narration of his character is being discussed—I don’t remember it in scenes, for example, when he is busy “living” his new, richer life,)

Whether or not you buy the premise (that an author with writer’s block could actually be “writing” and “narrating” a person’s life and could plausibly, cause his death) “Stranger Than Fiction” is worth seeing for at least the following few reasons: Ferrell’s dramatic gifts are enormous and deserve your attention; Zach Helm’s writing is witty but not over-the-top/ sledge-hammer “intellectualized” and the cast, as an ensemble, are seamless and as powerful as Crick’s own “magic” watch.