With a new Smurfs movie coming next year, I figured I'd take look back at the first one.
The Smurfs is a 2011 comedy combining computer-animation and live-action and it's based on the characters from both the comics and the 80's "hit?" cartoon of the same name. I'll let you know right up-front, this movie is not very good.
The film starts with the Smurfs preparing for a Blue Moon Festival which is soon interrupted by a wizard named Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) and his cat. The Smurfs run into a cave where they find a magic water vortex and they jump in hoping to escape. Of course, the vortex sends them to New York City, because there has never been a fish out of water story where an innocent character(s) end up in NYC. *cough* The Muppets Take Manhattan *cough* Big *cough* Mr. deeds Goes to Town *cough* George of the Jungle *cough* Coming to America *cough* Crocodile Dundee *cough* Splash *cough*... You get the idea.
It's not an original premise and you see every joke in this one coming from a mile away. The plot is pretty basic: The Smurfs need another blue moon to open up a portal to get back home and during their time in New York they get into all sorts of mishaps, and befriend two human characters played by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays, all the while trying to stay one step ahead of Gargamel. Oh and you can't forget the classic cliche of having the lovable screw-up character ending up as the hero in the end.
Overall, The Smurfs is not that funny or well written and the animation isn't impressive, but God bless Hank Azaria. It may be a bad movie and he could've phoned it in, but man he gives it his all so I've gotta give him some credit. I have a 4yr old and movie kept him entertained but, unless you have a little kid, I wouldn't recommend it.
I give this one a 1 out of 5.
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