The Smurfs

I must admit that I was a little apprehensive (actually quite a lot) in watching the new live action Smurfs movie. More importantly, movies based on old TV shows, especially with such an outrageous premise as the Smurfs rarely work. With that said, I got out my red pen out and was ready to can The Smurfs movie... surprisingly... this was not necessary. It's actually quite good family comedy!

At its Smurfy heart, The Smurfs is a very enjoyable feel good film that not only pays homage to the wonderful 1980's cartoon series that I grew up watching but it truly brings this franchise to the 21st century and really succeeds in this process. I also enjoyed how the writers even incorporated the late Pierre Culliford (Peyo), the creator of the Smurfs into the film with a slight parallel to Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You from Tony DiTerlizza and Holly Black's Spiderwick Chronicles.

Best of all, The Smurfs keeps the link to the original cartoon series and the comics as the film opens up in a wonderful CGI rendition of the Smurf Village that not only introduces all the characters with spot on personalities and voices but even that familiar Smurf lsng that seems to attach to your psyche. The story begins when Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters) has a vision of Clumsy (Anton Yelchin) as the catalyst to the destruction of their village. Needless to say, things begin to fall apart quite fast.

As Clumsy unwilling lets Gargamel (Hank Azaria) follow him to his village with cat Azrael in tow, chaos and mayhem soon breaks out. As the Smurfs flee their village, Clumsy once again acts as a catalyst that forces Papa Smurf, Smurfette (Katy Perry), Brainy (Fred Armisen), Grouchy (George Lopez) and Gutsy (Alan Cumming) to follow him through a magic portal where they end up in New York City. However with the Smurfs almost in his possession, Gargamel and his cat race through the portal as a game of cat and Smurf ensues.

From here, the Smurfs literally bump into Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) and his pregnant Grace (Jayma Mays) whose home acts as a sanctuary for them while they search for a way home. Unfortunately for Patrick, the Smurfs are the last thing that he needs in his life, especially with his tyrant boss Odile (Sofia Vergara) who has threatened to fire him if he cannot create the ideal perfume advertisement. Without spoiling the movie, there are some very amusing scenes in the movie and some great heart warming moments as well, such as Patrick playing Guitar Hero with the Smurfs and his wife realising that he will make the perfect father. The scene with Para Smurf and Patrick is also another "aww" moment but The Smurfs is really all about the comedy which will put a big fat smile on your face.

Apart from the humour of the Smurfs, the star of the film is Hank Azaria who plays the perfect Gargamel, especially with his cohort in crime Azrael as they both play off each other for some truly gut reaching laughs. It should be mentioned that Azrael is also a computer enhanced cat which helps with the comedy and ensures that no cats were harmed in the making of the Smurfs.

There's also some great one-liners in the movie such as when Smurfette suggests a slogan for Patrick's advertising campaign entitled "I kissed a Smurf and liked it" in home to Katy Perry's song of a similar name  or how Smurfette is the only female Smurf in the village... creepy. The only drawback to the movie for me was the amount of brand placement throughout the film... it was a little too in your face. All in all, The Smurfs is a great homage to the original cartoon series and provides 103 minutes of Smurfy entertainment that can be watched by the whole family.

Video/Audio & Special Features

On Blu-ray, the video quality is bordering on reference material with extremely sharp images and vibrant colours. However where The Smurfs really stands out is with the inclusion of 3D that truly makes this movie come alive. Audio is equally good and is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 that compliments with the film well with its exceptionally clear audio and well mixed tracks. For Special Features, The Smurfs comes with a whole wealth of extras from games to commentaries and fun interviews with the cast. However you really can't go past the Blue-pers (Bloopers) and the very boppy Happy Music Montage... brilliant!

• Smurf-O-Vision Second Screen Experience

• What is Smurf-O-Vision Second Screen?

• The Smurfs Fantastic Adventure Game

• Commentaries

• Deleted Scenes & Extended Scenes

• The Smurfs: Comic Book to Big Screen

• Smurf Peak: Meet the Cast

• Going Gargamel

• Happy Music Montage

• Blue-pers

• Progression Reels

Final Thoughts

The Smurfs movie may have left a sour taste in some critics mouths but as a fan from the original 80's cartoon series, the creators of this film have truly done Peyo's creation justice. It's funny, it's adventurous and at times, it's plain right silly but all in all, The Smurfs is a must see family movie that will make you feel Smurfy. Check it out!