Now that the summer is in full swing, cinema-goers are welcomed by yet another adaptation. This time it's the live-action and animated big screen adventure, The Smurfs 3D. But will this modern presentation of the classic characters be able to impress children and adults alike.
When the evil Wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) chases the Smurfs from their beloved village, a number of them are accidentally transported through a magical wormhole that thrusts them into the bright lights of New York City. When Clumsy Smurf (voiced by Anton Yelchin) ends up inside a delivery box, the fellow Smurfs dash to his rescue, but end up inside a city apartment accompanied by married couple Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) Winslow. At first reluctant to have the Smurfs around, the couple soon learn to care for them and strive to protect them from Gargamel, who has also made his way to the Big Apple.
Fundamentally, The Smurfs is your average children's holiday feature: it's bright, established and easy-going, and certainly many children and infants will have a blast watching it. Unfortunately, it also suffers from the typical errors that swamp movies for youngsters.
The script is mind-numbing and littered with repetition, which quickly becomes irritating and feels genuinely lazy, making the audience feel that no care or effort has gone into the writing process. In the trailer, Patrick asks why the Smurfs always say the word "Smurf" in place of other words. It's a very valid question – the word is uttered in so many lines and in so many scenarios that one could be forgiven for thinking 'Smurf' was a replacement for the 'F' word: "You Smurfed with the wrong girl!"; "Where the Smurf are we!"; "Smurf that!" Even the film's taglines include 'Where the Smurf are we?' and 'Smurf Happens'. If this were here to appeal to adults, it certainly didn't succeed.
Another letdown is the animation. Considering this film is predominately live-action, you would assume the lovable little blue folk would look amazing. The brief opening sequence in the Smurf village does look impressive, but after that the audience is left with something very mediocre. This is not director Raja Gosnell's first attempt at live-action/ animation either – he also directed the poorly-received Scooby-Doo in 2002.
The film's final error is its voice casting, which is a rather poor show. Pop singer Katy Perry provides the role of Smurfette, which is rather odd: with something as timeless as The Smurfs, one would expect a more established casting. In one scene, Smurfette goes as far as saying, "I kissed a Smurf and I liked it", which really sprang the dollar sign before my eyes. Other characters have unusual castings too, including Alan Cumming, who is undeniably trying to be more Scottish than he already is. Still, the brilliant Jonathan Winters voicing Papa Smurf was enjoyable.
The Smurfs does have a couple of good points. Patrick Harris and Mays make a charming on-screen couple and are incredibly endearing, and a scene where the group find a copy of the old Smurfs comics is rather sweet. Zaria is good as Gargamel, though he is upstaged by his shoddily-animated (though often funny) cat Azrael, who is easily the best thing in the film. Unfortunately, the majority of pros in The Smurfs do not include the main characters or the focus point of the feature.
Verdict: ●● Sure to be a huge hit with the kids over the summer, but for the parents hoping for a warm nostalgia trip, you will sadly be disappointed by this baggy and fairly uninteresting affair.
When the evil Wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) chases the Smurfs from their beloved village, a number of them are accidentally transported through a magical wormhole that thrusts them into the bright lights of New York City. When Clumsy Smurf (voiced by Anton Yelchin) ends up inside a delivery box, the fellow Smurfs dash to his rescue, but end up inside a city apartment accompanied by married couple Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) Winslow. At first reluctant to have the Smurfs around, the couple soon learn to care for them and strive to protect them from Gargamel, who has also made his way to the Big Apple.
Fundamentally, The Smurfs is your average children's holiday feature: it's bright, established and easy-going, and certainly many children and infants will have a blast watching it. Unfortunately, it also suffers from the typical errors that swamp movies for youngsters.
The script is mind-numbing and littered with repetition, which quickly becomes irritating and feels genuinely lazy, making the audience feel that no care or effort has gone into the writing process. In the trailer, Patrick asks why the Smurfs always say the word "Smurf" in place of other words. It's a very valid question – the word is uttered in so many lines and in so many scenarios that one could be forgiven for thinking 'Smurf' was a replacement for the 'F' word: "You Smurfed with the wrong girl!"; "Where the Smurf are we!"; "Smurf that!" Even the film's taglines include 'Where the Smurf are we?' and 'Smurf Happens'. If this were here to appeal to adults, it certainly didn't succeed.
Another letdown is the animation. Considering this film is predominately live-action, you would assume the lovable little blue folk would look amazing. The brief opening sequence in the Smurf village does look impressive, but after that the audience is left with something very mediocre. This is not director Raja Gosnell's first attempt at live-action/ animation either – he also directed the poorly-received Scooby-Doo in 2002.
The film's final error is its voice casting, which is a rather poor show. Pop singer Katy Perry provides the role of Smurfette, which is rather odd: with something as timeless as The Smurfs, one would expect a more established casting. In one scene, Smurfette goes as far as saying, "I kissed a Smurf and I liked it", which really sprang the dollar sign before my eyes. Other characters have unusual castings too, including Alan Cumming, who is undeniably trying to be more Scottish than he already is. Still, the brilliant Jonathan Winters voicing Papa Smurf was enjoyable.
The Smurfs does have a couple of good points. Patrick Harris and Mays make a charming on-screen couple and are incredibly endearing, and a scene where the group find a copy of the old Smurfs comics is rather sweet. Zaria is good as Gargamel, though he is upstaged by his shoddily-animated (though often funny) cat Azrael, who is easily the best thing in the film. Unfortunately, the majority of pros in The Smurfs do not include the main characters or the focus point of the feature.
Verdict: ●● Sure to be a huge hit with the kids over the summer, but for the parents hoping for a warm nostalgia trip, you will sadly be disappointed by this baggy and fairly uninteresting affair.