‘Smurfs’ Sings and Dances a Mundane Recycling of Family Friendly Fodder 

Alci Rengifo

Talk about a long running franchise. The Smurfs have been around for almost 70 years, having first been created in 1958 by Belgian comic artist Peyo. By now they have been featured in cartoons, movies, video games, toys, theme parks, you name it. Did we really need another movie? “Smurfs” makes the case that we don’t. Aside from easy chortles for very young audience members, this latest animated movie featuring the tiny blue heroes is a slapped together distraction composed of the barest minimum buffet of family friendly items. Rihanna happens to be a producer and one of the voice actors, so the music numbers at least have some pep.

A dance number introduces us to Smurf Village, where the Smurfs live, sing and go about daily life with their vocations or “thing” which also make up their names. For example, the elder of the tribe is Papa Smurf (John Goodman). We also get Brainy Smurf (Xolo Maridueña), Worry Smurf (Billie Lourd), Vanity Smurf (Maya Erskine) and Hefty Smurf (Alex Winter). No Name (James Corden) is stuck with a name that’s kind of punk but he hates having no designation. Smurfette (Rihanna) also has a different name but we’re not meant to care much. Out of nowhere, No Name suddenly develops the power to shoot light beams from his hands. It happens just in time for evil wizard Gargamel (JP Karliak) and his brother Razemel (also Karliak) to kidnap Papa Smurf and threaten him with torture to learn the whereabouts of a powerful book of magic.

That book is one of four coveted by the villains, who already have the first three. If Razemel and Gargamel get the fourth book, then they control the cosmos, etc. Director Chris Miller has been tasked with never going beyond the expected standards of a throwaway animated movie. Writer Pam Brady is no stranger to edge, having written “Hamlet 2” and “South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.” The heart of this script is not necessarily in the wrong place. There is a nice enough message in its plot about finding yourself at your own pace, building community and just being good. Yet, like the last few Smurfs movies, this movie chugs along without truly standing out. It has been hard for this franchise to top its best version, which is still the 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoon TV series. Even the animation style of that series has more cheer than the standard CGI look of “Smurfs.” 

A few flashes of originality occur in some spots, like a chase through multiple dimensions where the animation style switches from claymation to one dimensional pencil sketches and even anime. There is also some cheeky humor when other Smurfs, like Papa Smurf’s brother, Ken (Nick Offerman), make the kind of jokes only adults in the audience will truly get. Dan Levy also gets some grown up laughs as an intern for the villains begging for a good LinkedIn rating. Kurt Russell nearly steals the entire movie near the end when appearing as Ron, Papa and Ken’s enigmatic sibling with flowing blonde hair who looks borrowed from “Thor.” More tongue in cheek humor, similar to what we see in better films like “The Bad Guys,” would have helped revamp this series for new audiences.1

Plainly said, “Smurfs” just never becomes truly engaging as an overall story for young viewers. The little blue heroes sing a few songs, trek through a few forests and eventually fight the bad wizards. They encounter furball characters, Snooterpoots, who look funny (one, Mama Poot, is voiced by Natasha Lyonne) yet feel underused. One can smile at the cuteness of the designs on screen, but the movie soon begins to drag. For a village crammed with so many Smurfs, it’s also strange how barely anyone gets more than one line. Smurfette’s own, dark origin is almost casually thrown out there like a mere side detail. When the Smurfs finally lock hands, sing their theme song and banish the evil wizard into another realm, there’s elation because the movie is almost over. The best feature, it must be said, is the SpongeBob Squarepants bonus cartoon that plays before “Smurfs” begins. In just a few minutes it has all the goofball cheer and delight the main attraction needs more of.

“Smurfs” releases July 18 in theaters nationwide.