The Smurfs was a fad, back in the 80s the animated tv series was all the rage - as a person born in the mid90s I was made aware of the craze through reruns on Cartoon Network throughout my childhood. I remember the tune of the theme and the classic Smurf song they tended to sing, a piece of music that has been brought back in every film iteration of Smurfs to this day. Beyond that… I’m unfamiliar with the in-depth lore of the Smurf people besides the simple fact that their rival, the evil wizard Gargamel wants to eat them. 

 

I applaud this latest adaptation for doing something different and actually adding a bit of lore to the legacy of these creatures. It’s the most ambitious yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s a welcome experience. Surpassing the dreadful 2017 animated feature, as well as the 2013 The Smurfs 2 - but the 2011 feature starring a mix of live action and animation with Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria at the forefront as the humans… that one was actually pretty tolerable. In fact I’d say it’s almost a comfort watch that replicates the features of the early 00s released in the wrong decade. 

 

Unlike the 2017 feature, this film once again dives back into a mixture of live action and animation - yet somehow with less creativity with why these two forms of reality have merged. When it’s animated, the art style can be pretty unique, colorful and matching with the energy of the Smurfs, but a majority of the time it comes off as cheap and uninspired to ultimately combine the real world and the Smurfs world for an unnecessary and unimpactful collision.

 

The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2 had Katy Perry as Smurfette, Smurfs: The Lost Village had Demi Lovato as Smurfette and this time we have Rihanna as Smurfette. Why is this important? Because in a lot of ways Smurfette alongside Papa Smurf are the two most recognizable Smurfs, and therefore the most crucial to any Smurfs storyline. Admittedly, Rihanna is perfectly fine as the sole female Smurf and surprisingly only has a few musical moments - something that shocked me with such a get as her. 

 

In fact the entire cast is perfectly fine with a wide arrangement of actors taking on the roles, led by John Goodman as Papa Smurf and Nick Offerman as Ken. The problem with the film doesn’t lie in the performances, but in the choices that lie within. 

 

Opening the film with an introductory DJ set of all the Smurfs identities to then repeat introductions once again immediately following - was an odd decision. For those used to the plot of Smurfs films by now, typically either Smurfette or Papa Smurf are kidnapped and the rest of the blue population have to come to the rescue. The same is true here. 

 

Tacked on is the addition of a No Name Smurf, played by James Corden looking to find his identity, and finds it in a hidden book of magic that evil forces want to possess for world domination. This film provides more backstory into the Smurfs than I’ve ever seen prior and the base story isn’t the worst, but the way it’s animated and having the books of magic have personalities and catchphrases… no thank you. 

 

The best part of the feature without an ounce of doubt is JP Karliak as dual villains, Razamel and Gargamel. Both of these characters bring so much fun, over-the-top villainy to the table and they almost feel like they’re out of a completely different feature - maybe an Illumination or Dreamworks joint. It’s unfortunate that a bright star of a performance is hidden away by an otherwise forgettable and at times regrettable watch. While there are positive messages behind the actions taken in the film, the way they’re laid out for the audience to absorb could have been handled in a massively different way - because similar messages can be seen in lots of other better quality experiences out there. 

 

Directed by Chris Miller, not to be confused with director Christopher Miller who co-directed The Lego Movie, doesn’t quite have a finetuned vision here for Smurfs. There is quite a bit of promise hiding within poor choices in direction and most of all the animation stylings. After the box office success but the critical bashing of the all animated Smurfs: The Lost Village (197 million), it’s clear the studio is attempting to course correct to the box office score of the 2011 and 2013 versions (563 million, 347 million). Unfortunately for them, the world appears to not be ready to go out to see more Smurfs content… at least for sure not in a movie theater based on the forecasts coming.