The Smurfs (2011)

Being Dutch and living close to the Belgian border I grew up reading the comics about The Smurfs, called De Smurfen over here. When I saw the first posters for this film I was thinking it was going to be a disaster - there had been animation films with the smurfs before and none of them came close to the level of the comics and this wasn't even going to be animation, it was going to be half-and-half. When I then saw the first trailers and how the characters looked much like the "new smurfs" that were made years after the original series the fear for a disaster got even bigger.

I went to see it anyway because the kid wanted to see it and to my great surprise the film really wasn't half bad. They kept enough of the original theme and characters to bind to the original comic and added enough human interaction to make it funny. Having the story take place in a place and time that is completely unlike the one in the comics makes for a big difference and gives space for extra easy cop-outs to keep the story rolling.

I guess the film isn't any good if you're not known to the original series and aren't a kid, but for my kid and me it worked.

8 out of 10 cats with a piece of ear missing

Fmovies: The words above say it all, this film was a total disaster in every way. When I went to go see it with my young cousins I figured they would enjoy it and it might provide a few laughs for an older audience, I didn't laugh once. Even my three cousins (all under 8) didn't laugh. My 7 year old cousins even uttered the words, "That was stupid." as we walked out of the theater. I was very much inclined to agree with him, it was totally pathetic. Although I must admit that it was what I was expecting, but the children wanted to see it so I went, bit mistake. Save your cash people, don't go see this movie. In fact, don't even wait for the DVD...it's not even worth your dollar at redbox.

I am amazed that the average Mark for this film is so low. The film is very much made in the spirit of the cartoons and the live action mixed with cartoon special effects works really well. The key thing though is the performance of Hank Azaria as Gargamel. He is perfectly cast, a panto villain. I loved him. Doogie Howser is perfectly likable as is his screen wife. It's a nice film to watch, entertaining and surely ideal for young children. Unfairly ridiculed. It is really quite an old fashioned children's film and it is very colourful and with a lot of goodness. I think that maybe today's cynical world doesn't welcome something like this but that's a shame. If you want a nice easy to watch film for your innocent younger children then this is definitely for you or for adults who have never lost their inner child.

The Smurfs fmovies. Maybe I am biased, as I am a super fan of smurfs, but I still want to give my nod for this movie for three reasons: VERY GOOD 3D: At some point, both I and my friend felt that we are really in the scene. We never really felt this way from other 3D movies even we paid up to view the effect. And they have made efforts even to the final credits. They are enjoying playing around 3Ds. I enjoy it too!

VERY TOUCHING STORY: I cannot disclose much here, but i was in my tears towards the end of the story. Several good points about how we should treat life, treat the people around us and treat ourselves have been mentioned. To some extent, this movie is probably more suitable for grown-ups who are trapped by the modern life and got lost from what they really want.

JUST VERY SMURF: if you are like me, grown up with the company of the SMURFs, the connection is there. They are alive now on the screen!

Of course some parts need to be improved, so I am looking forward to the SMURF 2 in 2013.

Thank goodness The Smurfs was not the god-awful trainwreck everyone made it out to be, or else I would have wasted thirty minutes in line to see another failed cartoon adaptation.

I won't say it's good, but it was surprisingly not bad. Of course, The Smurfs does not exactly have enough substance to hold a full-grown adult's attention for all of its 86 minutes, but it is a surefire hit with the kids. The linear and simple plot follows a small group of Smurfs that get accidentally sucked into a portal to the human world while trying to escape the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria). The little blue people quickly enlist the help of married couple Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) to protect them from Gargamel, who plans to harvest the Smurfs' essence for magical power, and to re-create a portal that only happens once in a blue moonÂ…

The movie includes some emotional subplots with Papa Smurf and Patrick, who feels he is unready to start his own family; though it all becomes pretty unnecessary in the face of the Smurfs' main goal to return home. Humor, again, mainly appeals to the kids, sporting sight gag after sight gag, but every once in a while there's a clever reference thrown in for the older folks in the audience. Hank Azaria gives about the most cartoonish performance as any villain could, resulting in an upsetting mix of interest and annoyance. On the other hand, where it is used the CGI is incredibly high-quality (i.e. the Smurfs, Gargamel's cat, etc.), and the special effects are designed more specifically for 3-D viewing than in most movies as of late.

I know some people have proclaimed this film to be a bastardization of a childhood cartoon favorite, but I argue that it isn't. The film is very aware of its origins with Peyo and respects that fact. They actually pay direct homage to the creator towards the end of the story. An exact imitation of the cartoon series this movie is not, but it is a fun and well-intentioned take on the story.

The Smurfs is mildly entertaining, at its best, but it is written with the right spirit and is in no way an injustice against the original series. It offers a nostalgic throwback (with a modern twist) for the adults and an amusing show for the little ones. For the ones in between, I advise avoiding this movie.

Please people, some objectivity... A movie that does not conform to your personal tastes need not automatically be rated 1 or 2, a rating which I'd take to mean that it is just about the worst kind of crap you have ever laid eyes on (unless of course you really think it is in which case I'd recommend you to "broaden your cinematic horizons", but most people tend to exaggerate their opinions based on their emotional bias).

This is a children's movie, plain and simple, although admittedly a mediocre one in comparison to some of the truly great children's movies. As such there are certainly things about this movie that could have been handled in a more satisfying manner. One positive thing I can mention is the fact that it does not try to be anything but what it is.

Now, I may of course be wrong... It has been a very long time since I were in a position to give any accurate recommendations to the age group targeted by this movie. However, I must admit that what is left of the child within did find parts of it rather entertaining! :)