Choose your fighter — a playful, slightly Southern-sounding Christmas elf parading the details of Santa's list or a sassy green creature who delivers the perfect holiday-themed remarks.

Despite the commercial success and cult status of 2003's Elf, Will Ferrell remains hesitant to tackle a sequel for one understandable reason.

Several years ago, my family was presented with a gift that, since then, has become a national Christmas holiday phenomenon – The Elf on the Shelf. When I first saw it, I had the same reaction ...