Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofía Vergara, Hank Azaria
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Rating: PG
Running time: 102 minutes
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
La la la-la la la, Sing a happy song, La la la-la la la, Smurf your whole day long. Now that song will get stuck in your head hopefully like it has mine. I grew up watching “Smurfs” and have always been a fan of the series. But the movie on the other hand…I was very skeptical. I was even convinced that it was going to be terrible and they would ruin my childhood blue heroes. Well all of that was laid to rest as the film was very surprisingly funny and enjoyable.
The film starts with the evil wizard Gargamel (marvelously played by Hank Azaria) as he discovers the Smurfs’ village. The Smurfs scatter into a “forbidden” grotto and due to the fact that it is a blue moon, a magical portal within transports them into present-day Central Park. Once they arrive in this strange place with Gargamel still on their trail, they luckily meet Patrick and Grace Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays). With the help of their new friends, The Smurfs needs to find a way back home.
Neil Patrick Harris is very hot right now and I was afraid he was going to ruin his career with this film, but it doesn’t. He is really funny and the film itself has a lot of heart. Hank Azaria has a role that was simply made for him to play…perfect job. The 3D effects are some of the best I have seen all summer and the blend of CG and live-action works so well and seamless. The story is simple like it should be and given it is not perfect but it is fun. That is the best way to sum this film up it is just simple fun…nothing more.