Top

film

Stories

 

The Smurfs

Comments (0) By Nick Schager Wednesday, Jul 27 2011

Related Content

More About

Raja Gosnell recycles his Scooby-Doo films' CG-live-action hijinks and juvenile postmodern jokiness for The Smurfs, in which Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters), Smurfette (Katy Perry), and their magical blue-skinned compatriots are inadvertently transported to Manhattan, with bulbous-nosed sorcerer Gargamel (Hank Azaria) and his pet cat Azrael in hot pursuit. This Enchanted-style fish-out-of-water scenario is mined for interminable product placement gags (Blue Man Group!) and dreary fantasy-meets-modernity scenarios (Gargamel gets Tasered by the NYPD!). It's done via a dim script that inundates conversations with the term smurf as a noun, adjective, and adverb, and then wink-wink addresses the silliness of the iconic characters' speech, and their personality-based names and signature "la la la-la la la" song. Gosnell directs as if every scene must be either a nauseating roller-coaster ride or a syrupy melodrama, resulting in a seesawing tone that's not stabilized by the presence of Neil Patrick Harris as a cosmetics company executive and expectant father forced to baby-sit the cheery computer-generated creatures. Amid loving hugs and embarrassing Guitar Hero performances with his new munchkin friends, Harris learns from Papa the value of family and parenthood. More than that mushiness, though, it's the possibility of this frantic film spawning sequels that truly inspires thoughts of smurficide. Nick Schager

Related Content

Check out this week's featured ad for Restaurants
More Ads >>
 
My Voice Nation Help
2 comments
  Livefyre
Newest | Oldest
Geoff Talbot
Geoff Talbot

I personally loved the smurfs - I always have and always will. They pick me up when I am feeling blue

 
VOICE Daily Deals

Now Showing

Find capsule reviews, showtimes & tickets for all films in town.

Powered By VOICE Places

Slideshows

Join My Voice Nation for free stuff, film info & more!


Box Office

  1. Star Trek Into Darkness, 70.2 mil, 83.7 mil
  2. Iron Man 3, 35.8 mil, 337.7 mil
  3. The Great Gatsby, 23.9 mil, 90.7 mil
  4. Pain & Gain, 3.2 mil, 46.7 mil
  5. The Croods, 3.0 mil, 177.0 mil
  6. 42, 2.8 mil, 88.8 mil
  7. Oblivion, 2.3 mil, 85.6 mil
  8. Mud, 2.2 mil, 11.7 mil
  9. Peeples, 2.2 mil, 7.9 mil
  10. The Big Wedding, 1.2 mil, 20.3 mil
Movie Title, Weekly Earnings, Total Earnings

Movie Trailers

More News Stories >
©2013 Village Voice, LLC, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places New York

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city