Elf

Buddy, an orphan raised by Santa’s elves, travels to New York City to meet his biological father. Elf can be somewhat of a polarizing movie, you either love it or you hate it. And, typically, it boils down to whether or not you can tolerate Will Ferrell at his most manic. I love the movie. I think it’s a modern-day Christmas classic. From the homages to Rankin/Bass’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to the incredible supporting cast, which includes Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen and Peter Dinklage. It’s a charming movie that can be enjoyed by anyone from age eight to eighty.

Rating: Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree%

Secret Santa Rating: 80%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Iron Man 2

Part of what made 2008's Iron Man so enjoyable was the fact that Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark was generally happy to be a super hero. So many comic book movies weigh down their protagonists with the responsibility of their powers. In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark is slowly being poisoned by his own power supply while being attacked from all sides by a variety of enemies, but he still has time to race fast cars and chase hot women. No sad monologues, no emo hair cuts, and no turning his back on his super hero status. While the movie does come dangerously close to overloading itself with too many characters and enemies, it manages to maintain the refreshing spirit of its predecessor.

Rating: 80%

(Image from impawards.com)