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“Elf,” despite several funny scenes, is short of a decent plot. When the laughs die down, the film becomes harder to watch than a Jared Subway commercial.

When Buddy (Will Ferrell), a six-foot tall guy who thinks he’s an elf, walks into New York City, the potential for jokes are endless. And on that level, “Elf” does not disappoint. The movie is laugh-out-loud funny.

As a movie made for kids, the humor is mostly of the slapstick/potty variety. For example, Buddy receives a beating from a Santa impersonator and later gets pounded by a dwarf. Although disgusting -- Ferrell manages to outdo himself in eating a variety of stomach-turning objects, half of which aren’t edible – “Elf” proves that Ferrell can be funny without being vulgar. He wins the audience with the charming naïveté that has marked his career.

Some points in the movie make you want to reach out and hug Ferrell. He plays the character so well that no one ever doubts that he truly believes he’s an elf. His whiny voice and physical antics easily elicit smiles.

Unfortunately, the humor can’t carry the lack of a sound plot. In one scene, Buddy’s biological father, Walter (James Caan), is a heartless Grinch. Two scenes later, without adequate reason, he’s a top-notch good guy. Writer David Berenbaum can write comedy, but he lacks an appreciation for the cause-and-effect relationship between events that drives successful movies.

With a broken plot comes the painfully trite and terribly contrived holiday theme: Everyone needs more Christmas spirit, and everyone needs to believe in Santa.

“Christmas spirit” are code words in Hollywood for easy money. The theme is so blatantly forced it feels like Santa himself swooped down and thwacked everyone over the head with an oversized candy cane wrapped with barbed wire. It’s a feel-good message that feels bad.

The billboards and the trailers raise the question: How long will it be funny to watch Ferrell prance around in an elf costume? Not long enough.

In the end, you have to wonder where your nine bucks went. It went to pay for a multi-million dollar movie that couldn’t afford a decent plot.

- Christopher Saroki