The 2003 film Elf (starring Will Ferrell and directed by Jon Favreau) has many visual similarities to the Rankin/Bass produced Christmas television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964).
Buddy's Elf uniform is identical to the one worn by the head elf:
Both have sentient snowman narrators, Leon in Elf and Sam in Rudolph:
Both Santas sport suspenders and red long-sleeve shirts as casual attire:
Elf also features similar scenery and stop-motion in its opening North Pole scene. Has Jon Favreau, the director, ever commented on what his intention was behind all of these similarities? Was this an homage or an attempt to slyly create a sequel to the '60s Christmas special?