The Smurfs Movie

‎1hr 26min‎‎ - Rated PG‎‎ - Animation/Family/Scifi/Fantasy‎

Director: Raja Gosnell 

Cast: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara 

 

Overview:

The Smurfs make their first trip to the big screen in Columbia Pictures'/Sony Pictures Animation's hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, they're forced through a portal, out of their world and more into ours, landing in the middle of New York's Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

 

My thoughts:

Last summer when I saw posters for this movie I was really skeptical about how it would be and then when the commercials for the movie and McDonald's started showing I was so sick of the theme song but I was actually pleasantly surprised by the movie.  They answer the questions of why Gargamel can't find the Smurfs even though they share the same forest and why Smurfette is the only female Smurf.  Smurfette being the only girl always bothered me a lot when I was younger and watched the cartoon on Saturday mornings.

 

The Smurfs learn about themselves and being self sufficient in NYC and they also manage to teach a couple a bit more about themselves.  Papa Smurf sees a vision before they are sucked by a vortex into NYC and he does his best to help the rest of the Smurfs navigate their way though an unfamiliar place.  There is plenty of action and plenty of laughs.  My children loved it and there were a lot of things that caused the whole theater to erupt in laughter.

 

While we watched the movie in 2D I can see how 3D with this one might have really added to it, especially in the scenes with the water and the vortex and the flying with birds in their hidden forest.  I went into this movie thinking it was going to be a slog for me and it really wasn't.  Now to try to collect all 16 Smurfs from McDonald's.  We have 6 so far!