Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) tries his best at Santa's workshop, but he can never seem to catch up with his pals. No wonder - Buddy's not an elf, but a human, who stowed away on Santa's sleigh as a baby and was raised as an elf at the North Pole. Buddy makes it his mission to find his long-lost father (James Caan) in New York, and before he knows it, he's in for a wild adventure in the big city.