I do have my reasons for wanting to see The Smurfs, but that doesn't make it any less embarrassing that I did go and see it. By myself. On a bright, early Sunday morning when I could have just stayed in bed.
Moving swiftly on from my embarrassment at having to ask for 'one to see The smurf movie', I shall delve straight into the synopsis as I'm sure that's what everyone wants to read about anyway! Joking aside, I figure those with kids may want to know the plot for this update of the classic TV show of the 80s.
Shot in 3D (though I saw the alternative 2D version), The Smurfs tells the story of Papa Smurf and his clan of blue children (how they were born without Mama Smurf I'm not entirely sure? Maybe more research is required?) who are eternally trying to outwit evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria). The smurfs are trying to escape an attack on their village by Gargamel when several of them are sucked into a portal, along with Gargamel and his cat Azrael. The portal opens up in a strange new land called...New York. There the Smurfs must try to find a way back to the Smurf Village and end Gargamel's evil reign once and for all.
While I appreciate that The Smurfs is a kids film, this was made all the more obvious to me by me being the only adult there without an accompanying child. Yet another factor to add to my embarrassment, I was not only seeing what was undoubtedly going to be a pretty bad kids film, but I was choosing to do so without the prompt of a child. The parents in there must have thought I was mad, or very dodgy.
I will reinforce the mad theory and say that I did, for the most part, enjoy The Smurfs. I thought the little blue guys would annoy me but I was actually quite endeared by them. Especially Smurfette (voiced by Katy Perry) and the oh so sweet Clumsy. The character who did annoy me, and who I found was just a little too aimed at kids was Gargamel. He wasn't funny (except maybe if you're 5) and I just wanted him off the screen whenever he appeared.
The other humans weren't bad with Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Jayma Mays (Glee) taking on the two main leads and interacting believably with the CGI'd Smurfs.
I would therefore recommend The Smurfs to anyone with kids to entertain and possibly even to fans of the cartoon, if you think you can stand Gargamel and Azrael's OTT performance. 5.5 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 11th September 2011
UK Release Date - 10th August 2011
Cast Overview:
Hank Azaria ~ Gargamel
Neil Patrick Harris ~ Patrick
Jayma Mays ~ Grace
Sofia Vergara ~ Odile
Director ~ Raja Gosnell
Writer(s) ~ Peyo (Characters), J.David Stern (Screenplay and Story), David N Weiss (Screenplay and Story), Jay Scherick (Screenplay) and David Ronn (Screenplay).
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