Love it or hate it (and let's face it, most hated it), this film is a marvel of set design and art direction, and that is well represented on this special edition DVD. The 1.85:1 anamorphic image is simply stunning. (As is common now, a full-frame version is available separately.) Colors, a vital element of the film, are presented with an amazing flourish, perfectly capturing the theatrical appearance. There are no signs of grain or print scratches, as would be expected. Nearly as impressive is the 5.1 Dolby Digital track. The sound mix is very exciting, with wide use of the surrounds for effect, but the main audio source is never drowned out up front. Dialogue is clear (this could be a good or bad thing, depending on your view) and without any distortion. It wouldn't be surprising to see a two-disc re-release happen down the line, but this title still throws in a number of first-rate supplements. While the menus are annoying, they will take you to numerous sections, mainly comprised of 12 short (under three minutes each) featurettes. Those with short attention spans will appreciate these pieces, all with interviews from director Bo Welch, star Mike Myers, and other cast members. Segments include the cat makeup, the music, the creation of the Theodore Seuss Geisel stamp, the vehicles, various visual effects, and more. In addition, and designed to appeal to the very young, is a segment on how to dance like the cat. Slightly more promising, though not the best ever produced, is an audio commentary track from Welch and Alec Baldwin. The two seem to enjoy recording this track, and their time making the movie. Infinitely more amusing than the film is a lengthy bloopers segment. Finally, a number of deleted scenes are offered, as well as the trailers for Shrek 2 and Peter Pan. Overall, this is a fine disc, from the exceptional picture and sound to a wide array of extras. Now, if only the film was as good.

For his sophomore stab at directing, actor/writer/director Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made), took on this holiday comedy starring Saturday Night Live-alum Will Ferrell. Ferrell stars as Buddy, a regular-sized man who was raised as an elf by Santa Claus (Edward Asner). When the news is finally broken to Buddy that he's not a real elf, he decides to head back to his place of birth, New York City, in search of his biological family. Elf also stars James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, and Bob Newhart.