Voices of James Corden, Rhianna, John Goodman, and Nick Offerman
Directed by Chris Miller
Music and Lyrics by various
I grew up watching The Smurfs. Those little blue people from Belgium were everywhere in the 80's, including an animated series on NBC that ran from 1981 to 1989. We had Smurf comics and Smurf dolls. There were linens and gift wrap and records. They've had mixed success in the US since then. The first live-action film in the US had the animated Smurfs ending up in the live-action world and helping a young couple. It wasn't popular with critics, but wound up being one of the biggest hits of 2011. Though a sequel and a subsequent all-animated film didn't do nearly as well, a hit cartoon from France revealed there was life in the franchise yet. Does this film reach the same heights, or is it more Smurf-bound? Let's begin at Smurf Village, as one little unnamed Smurf (Corden) tries to figure out where his real talents lay, and find out...
The Story: No-Name Smurf, who is new to Smurf Village, would give anything to have a talent like the other Smurfs. One afternoon, he wishes on a star for a talent of his own...and suddenly, he can shoot like and make anything appear. He shows off his newfound magical abilities at Smurf Village, only for them to attract evil sorcerer Razamel (JP Karliak) and his nerdy assistant Joel (Dan Levy). Joel creates a portal that allows them to capture Papa Smurf (Goodman). The remaining Smurfs, including No Name and lone female Smurf Smurfette (Rhianna) follow them to find Ken (Offerman), Papa Smurf's brother.
They end up in the real Paris, where they're found by the International Neighborhood Watch Smurfs. Moxie (Sandra Oh), Ken's daughter, brings them to him. Ken wants them to get to Razamel's castle as soon as possible, but it's not that easy. No Name tries to use his magic to transport them, only for a force field on Razamel's castle to send them into the Australian outback. They get help here from Mama Snooterpoots (Natasha Lynne) and her fluffy Snooterpoots. She tells them that the Intergalactic Evil Wizard Alliance intends to use four magical books, including Jaunty (Amy Sedaris), the one who gave No Name his magic, to strip the entire universe of its joy. It's up to Smurfette and No Name to join Gargamel (Karliak), rescue their friends, and reveal that the real magic comes when we use all of our talents together, no matter what they are.
The Animation: This is one of the film's highlights. For one thing, unlike the 2011 versions, the Smurfs actually resemble their counterparts from the comics and TV shows, with rounded heads and long, lanky bodies. The blending of live-action and animation is far more seamless, especially in the French disco as the Smurfs maneuver their way around the dancers and the glasses on the bar. That last sequence in the inter-dimensional portal is a stunner, with some incredible glittering effects animation. The alt-universes is where this really stands out. They have a ton of fun with animation from different eras, from genuinely good Gumby-esque clay stop-motion to 8-bit sprites out of 1985.
The Song and Dance: At the very least, this is a lot more fun than the Smurfs wandering around New York City, helping an obnoxious modern couple. Corden's very sweet as poor No Name, and Goodson is a wise and gentle Papa Smurf. Oh has so much fun as tough little Moxie, one wishes she and the Watch Smurfs were in more of the movie. Lynne's a riot as no-nonsense Mama Snooterpoots, too. Karliak is hilarious as both the more ambitious Razamel and Gargamel, who only cares about finally capturing those darn Smurfs. I also appreciate the Aesop that kindness is one of our greatest strengths, not a weakness.
The Numbers: We open with "Everything Goes With Blue" over the opening credits as we're introduced to the Smurfs and their world. No Name laments that he's "Always On the Outside" while walking in the forest. "Up" takes the Smurfs into the real world. "Don't Stop the Music" is the big chorus number at the French disco, as the Smurfs navigate around all those stomping human feet. "Anyone" is Rhianna's big number as she encourages No Name to find his talent. She gets a second one later in the portal, "Friend of Mine."
What I Don't Like: Um...what does all this have to do with the Smurfs? While it's a better story than the 2011 movie, it still doesn't have much to do with either the comics or the original show. We barely hear from any of the original Smurfs besides Papa and Smurfette. All of the added characters just make the story feel bloated; Joel in particular is a silly and annoying geek stereotype, and Jaunty is more shrill than funny. The songs are cute but not only not memorable, are mostly out-of-place R&B and dance tunes.
The Big Finale: If you or your kids are fans of any animated versions of the Smurfs, this has enough good points to check out in the theater on a rainy or too-hot day.
Home Media: Currently available for pre-order on Amazon, though there's no release date as yet.
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