In Theatres: The Smurfs (2011)

30 years ago, Hanna-Barbera obtained a license to adapt a Belgian comic strip for American audiences. Smurfs would enjoy an 8 year run on NBC as the surprising centerpiece of the network's Saturday lineup. Until then, no one had heard of Peyo, the Belgian writer-artist who created the series.

In 2011, the little blue people are back, this time with Columbia holding the license for a feature film that will stir some fond memories of the original series, which still airs in repeats to this day on Boomerang.

The story begins with the Smurfs in their hidden village preparing for the Festival of the Blue Moon while Papa (Jonathan Winters) sees potential disaster in some mystic visions. Clumsy (Anton Yelchin, to be seen next in the remake of "Fright Night") is collecting some plant leaves when he runs afoul of the evil wizard, Gargamel (Hank Azaria, The Simpsons) and his familiar, Azrael (voiced by Frank Welker). Naturally, Gargamel & Azrael find their way into the village and nearly obliterate it completely. A portal opens that sends Papa, Clumsy, Smurfette, Brainy, Grouchy, & Gutsy (a new Smurf created for the movie, one of four new characters in all) to present-day New York. Gargamel & Azrael follow, with predictable results.

The Smurfs eventually find themselves in the apartment of Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother) and his pregnant wife, Grace (Jayma Mays, Glee). After the expected culture shock and disorientation, the Winslows befriend their guests and help them become acquainted with the 21st century. Meanwhile, Gargamel finds that Azrael had bitten off some of Smurfette's hair, and uses it to create a temporary potion, which, once completed, would give Gargamel the ability to capture the entire Smurf community. He passes through a demonstration given by Patrick's boss (Sofia Vergara, Modern Family) and his potion restores youth & vitality to the woman's mother, whom Gargamel had unwittingly insulted moments before. That gives Gargamel some unexpected leverage in his quest, but, being Gargamel, any advantage he ever gets is ultimately squandered.

After obtaining a telescope from FAO Schwartz, the Smurfs still need to create a potion of their own, as well as a return spell. Patrick gives them a tip on a possible location for a spell book, which happens, ironically, to be a hardcover collection of their own Belgian comics. Gargamel tracks them to the shop and captures Papa while Clumsy stays at the Winslows' apartment. With his job on the line because of Clumsy's bungling, Patrick decides to lead a rescue effort. The resulting scene, with AC/DC's "Back in Black" in the background, is cool all by itself. As Smurfette (Katy Perry) rescues Papa, Brainy (Fred Armisen, Saturday Night Live & The Looney Tunes Show) recites the spell. That sets the stage for the final, climatic battle. Just when Gargamel thinks he's won, Brainy shows up with some reinforcements after having made a return trip home. Papa's vision, it turns out, is a little skewed, and everyone gets to go home. Well, everyone but Gargamel & Azrael, who remain in New York as the movie ends.

As any Smurf fan knows, Gargamel is not the master wizard he thinks he is, but rather a bumbling, delusional dreamer who never succeeds. Hank Azaria doesn't quite capture the menace that the late Paul Winchell brought in voicing Gargamel 30 years ago, but some of the pratfalls Gargamel has to endure come right out of the "Home Alone" playbook. Frank Welker & Jonathan Winters are the only two voice actors who actually worked on the 1981-89 series (as Hefty & Grandpa, respectively). Two series regulars, Jokey & Handy, are heard from briefly (voiced by Paul Reubens & Jeff Foxworthy, respectively), but just weren't given enough to do. Like Gutsy, Narrator Smurf was created for the movie, as he was not a series regular. Smurfette's origin is addressed briefly in a scene with Grace, and she also gets to lay the smack down on Azrael in a cute sequence.

Most critics were positive, the lone negative review I'd read belonging to Lou Lumenick of the New York Post, who gave the film 0 stars. What was this guy thinking?

Anyway, here's a trailer.



Well, as Smurfette coined the word, Smurfalish!

Rating: B+.