Elf-Man is a 2012 Direct to Video Christmas Movie (doubling as an Affectionate Parody of classic superhero films) written and directed by Ethan Wiley and distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment. It stars Jason Acuna as the titular character, and Jeffrey Combs as the main villain.
Eric Harper, an amateur inventor and recent widower, invites his mother over for Christmas with his two kids, Kasey and Ryan. The family is spending their first Christmas without his late wife, and his children are understandably bummed. But on Christmas Eve, he finally makes a breakthrough in his work and invents a new clean energy source that has the potential to change the world. A trio of bumbling criminals catch wind of his discovery and kidnap him to get the chip in the hopes they'll be able to get rich off it. Meanwhile, a disaffected Elf is mistakingly left behind on the roof of the Harper residence by Santa Claus. Kasey thinks he's there to grant her Christmas Wish and asks him to bring her father home. He tries, and Hilarity Ensues. In the end, he'll need a change of clothes before everything is resolved.
Not to mistaken with Danny Elfman, or the movie Elf.
Tropes in Elf-Man include:
- Bad Santa: Downplayed; Santa in this depiction is a bit of a Jerkass who doesn't care much about his elves (even leaving Elf-Man behind after he says he wants a raise and seemingly forgetting about him), but he still expresses sympathy toward Kasey when she cries.
- Berserk Button: The Elf doesn't like being mistaken for a Hobbit, a troll, and especially not a leprechaun.
- Bratty Half-Pint: Ryan, who resents Amy for being attracted to his father so soon after his mother died.
- Christmas Elves: They accompany Santa when he goes out and are played by Little Persons in this film.
- Christmas Songs: Most of the film's soundtrack.
- Dull Surprise: A lot of the film's performances have this, but the news anchor at the parade announcing Santa's sleigh being discovered for the first time by the Air Force acts extremely unalarmed despite purporting to be surprised by the incredible event.
- 11th-Hour Superpower: The new powers and new upgraded costume Elf-Man suddenly gains via The Power of Love right as the criminals have him cornered.
- Elvis Impersonator: An Elfbook post claims that "Elfis" has been seen alive.
- Granny Classic: Eric's mother, fittingly only referred to as Grandma, who is a bit odd but otherwise stands as a wise and courageous figure to her grandchildren.
- Homage: Professes to be one to Home Alone, as well as old superhero films.
- "Home Alone" Antics: Much of the film's runtime is spent on the kids' and Elf-Man's attempts to stop the criminals this way.
- Instant Costume Change: Happens when Elf-Man gets his last-minute power upgrade. See The Power Of Love.
- Lethal Harmless Powers: Inverted: Elf-Man can transform objects, but only into harmless Christmas-related ones. He eventually gains the power of flight, however.
- Make a Wish: Invoked, strangely; the wooden elf toy passed down through Eric's family that Kasey wishes on for a good Christmas is an actual piece of technology that interfaces with Santa, and flags the family as having made a "special wish".
- Meet Cute: Eric and Amy's romantic subplot begins when he picks up a roast from her shop and he invites her over for Christmas.
- Never Say "Die": The film never actually explicitly states that the kids' mother died despite Grandma all but saying it.
- The Power of Love: Eric and Amy's kissing under the mistletoe not only restores Elf-Man to normal, it spontaneously gives him a new costume and new powers right before he's about to be defeated.
- Road Apples: Elf-Man is, much to his dissatisfaction, assigned as reindeer-poop-catcher the night he finally gets sleigh duty.
- Second Love: Amy is Eric's Love Interest after the latter's wife seemingly passed away.
- Super Zeroes: Elf-Man starts out as one, but gradually gets more serious as the stakes escalate.
- Those Two Guys: Technically three guys: Mickey, an ex-Navy Seal who was the only survivor of an encounter with a troll (supposedly) and who seems to suffer from PTSD (Combs); Jean-Pierre, the self-professed "World's Most Famous Master Of Disguise" and Big Bucket, the Scary Black Man except he occupies more of a comic-relief role like the others.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The film's main hook comes from Santa forgetting about the elf and leaving him behind on the family's roof, but despite Elf-Man continually mentioning that he needs to get back to Santa, it's never addressed if he'll ever come back.
- Weaksauce Weakness: Elf-Man's is mistletoe, which drains his magic and almost outright kills him, until he's saved by The Power of Love.
- When I Was Your Age...: Elf-Man rants about how they used to be able to just give kids "some mud and a few sticks" in the old days, but now children demand all kinds of new gadgets and toys.
