Smurfette, No Name and a group of Smurfs embark on a rescue mission after Papa Smurf is taken from Smurf Village.
After taking an eight-year break from the big screen, the iconic blue Smurfs are back – and this time, they’re in a musical!
Featuring a brand-new voice cast and story, Smurfs follows Smurfette (voiced by Rihanna) and No Name Smurf (James Corden) as they embark on a rescue mission after Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is taken from Smurf Village.
Smurfette, No Name and co. try to track down a Smurf named Ken (Nick Offerman) to help them save Papa Smurf from the clutches of the wizard brothers Gargamel and Razamel (both JP Karliak), who are trying to find a magical book for their evil purposes.
Unfortunately, the story in Smurfs is so generic and familiar that it’s hard to feel particularly excited or engaged by it.
Director Chris Miller tries to compensate for this by throwing in jokes, musical numbers and other bells and whistles, but none of these elements are effective enough to fully make up for the well-worn story.
If you’re expecting a musical that’s essentially back-to-back songs, you’ll be sorely disappointed, as there are not many. The musical numbers are one of the stronger elements of the film, and Rihanna and Corden sing them well, but the tracks aren’t very memorable.
Also, the film tries so hard to bring the fun, and there are lots of attempts at jokes, but these fall flat more often than not, and it just can’t achieve the same entertainment value as Trolls, presumably its inspiration.
The film’s marketing push centres upon Rihanna voicing Smurfette, a character previously voiced by fellow pop stars Katy Perry and Demi Lovato. But her character isn’t given much of an arc or many opportunities to shine, and Rihanna’s new song, Friend of Mine, only appears in the credits rather than the movie itself.
The voice actors are solid though. Corden tries the hardest to inject No Name – the Smurf with the best character arc – with some flair, and Karliak is delightfully devilish as the evil Gargamel and Razamel.
In a crowded market of family movies, Smurfs doesn’t do enough to stand out among the likes of Elio, How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch, which are recommended watches.
In cinemas from Friday 18th July.
By Hannah Wales.
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