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Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
REVIEW: 'Smurfs' get surreal, which might be lost on the kids
Published Jul 19, 2025 • 4 minute read No Name (James Corden) and Smurfette (Rihanna) in "Smurfs." Photo by Paramount Animation / Paramount Animation Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The biggest surprise about the new 'Smurfs' movie was the smattering of applause that bubbled forth in the darkness of a recent, kid-friendly preview screening as the credits began to roll. But the animated film – a complicated portal-hopping adventure set in the (groan) multiverse that also incorporates a smattering of live action, mostly scenery and no actors – does have its moments. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account For instance, I briefly smiled when the titular blue 'rat-monkeys,' as the film's bad guy calls these troll-like imps, dimension-hop from one world to the next in an effort to save all that is good from the evil twin wizards Gargamel and Razamel (voice of JP Karliak). Each dimension is rendered, cleverly, in a distinct style of animation: stop-motion clay, a child's crayon drawing, 1970s-era 8-bit video graphics, subtitled Japanese anime and, for reasons I don't fully understand, one surreal undersea vignette featuring a talking tardigrade – a teensy creature that looks like a bug in a fat suit – voiced by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The surprise is not that anyone liked the film. There's no accounting for taste, especially when it comes to offbeat fare like the Smurfs, an intellectual property that has it roots in Belgium, where, in 1958, comic artist Pierre Culliford, working under the pseudonym Peyo, created them as Les Schtroumpfs, but that the robust clapping seems to have come almost entirely from grown-ups. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. During the movie, their young charges appeared to fidget and shift impatiently, greeting their parents' ovation by sitting on their hands or, more likely, using them to scratch their heads in confusion. The reaction from the children in the crowd seemed to echo the closing words of Rihanna, who as the character Smurfette, articulates what I imagine more than a few in the theatre may have been thinking: 'Don't crunch our brains so much!' The script by Pam Brady (a 'South Park' producer and writer of the R-rated films 'South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut' and 'Team America: World Police') is all over the map, sometimes quite literally. Director Chris Miller ('Puss in Boots') opens the action amid the mushroom-shaped houses of Smurf Village before switching to Paris – then the Australian Outback, Munich and points beyond. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It begins by presenting a bit of lore that is easily the most unsettling thing about Smurfdom: the fact that Smurfette, the lone female among a host of males, was created from clay by the evil wizards specifically to lure the Smurfs into their clutches. More tedious scene-setting follows. Smurfette explains that all Smurfs, like Snow White's dwarfs, are named for character attributes: Hefty, Lazy, Handy, Grouchy, etc. All Smurfs, that is, except Smurfette – she's just a girl, it's implied, isn't that enough? – and one called No Name (James Corden), who hasn't yet found his thing, although he aspires to become a practitioner of the magic arts. No Name's search for identity is really what propels this overly busy story forward, in an otherwise perfunctory plot about good vs. evil that gets underway after Smurf patriarch Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is kidnapped by the wizards' factotum, Joel (Dan Levy). This precipitates a delegation of Smurfs to go on a quest, seeking help from someone named Ken – whoever and wherever he may be – as Papa urged them to do just before he got sucked into a black hole-like vortex in the sky. Other portals include the horn of a gramophone. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Yes, the story is hard to follow, and not just for youngsters. (I would urge you not to try.) It involves appearances by a Parisian neighbourhood watch group run by – well whaddya know? – a second female Smurf, called Moxie (Sandra Oh); a hairball-looking thing with the flatulent-sounding moniker of Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne); and a magical talking book who goes by Jaunty (Amy Sedaris). Each of these characters has more or less zilch to do with the predictable message of the story, which is, as spelled out by Smurfette to No Name: 'You've got a lot more magic in you than you think. You've just got to let it out.' The more interesting question is 'Who is 'Smurfs' actually playing to?' On the one hand, its predictable reliance on naughty wordplay, inspired by the seemingly limitless meanings of the words 'smurf' and 'smurfy' (e.g., 'I think I smurfed my pants') would seem to suggest grade school. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On the other hand, the movie really leans into the self-referential absurdism. After a scene featuring No Name riding in the pouch of a bouncing CGI mama kangaroo as Smurfette sings to him, 'Don't ever give up,' No Name breaks the fourth wall by saying out loud what the rest of us are thinking: 'That part with the kangaroo was a little weird.' True, but never quite weird enough. 'Smurfs' may be all over the multiverse, but it doesn't land anywhere worth writing home about. – – – Two stars. Rated PG. At theatres. Contains action, coarse language and some rude humour. 89 minutes. Rating guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. MMA World Toronto & GTA Celebrity Tennis
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Rihanna's ‘Smurfs' Movie Flop: Reviews — And Box Office — Look Dismal
'Smurfs,' which billionaire pop star Rihanna stars in, produced and wrote music for, is shaping up to be both a critical and box office flop despite marketing that placed the billionaire's name front and center. Rihanna stars in, produced and wrote music for "Smurfs." (Photo byfor ... More Paramount Pictures) Getty Images for Paramount Pictures 'Smurfs,' which opened in theaters Friday, failed to impress critics, earning just a 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is also on track for a poor performance at the box office, with Deadline projecting Friday morning it could earn 'anywhere in the high single digits to low teens' in its opening weekend, while Variety projected between $10 million and $12 million. That total would be a rough start for 'Smurfs,' which was reportedly produced on a budget of $58 million before marketing costs. 'Smurfs' looks to underperform despite a star-studded cast, led by actor-producer-singer Rihanna, who stars alongside James Corden, Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh, Natasha Lyonne, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer and more celebrities. Weeks before the film's release, Rihanna—who has not released a proper album in almost a decade, much to her fans' frustration—released the song 'Friend of Mine' from the 'Smurfs' soundtrack. 'Superman' is expected to best new releases 'Smurfs' and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' at the box office this weekend, winning a second straight weekend with a projected gross of around $60 million, multiple outlets reported. Critics slammed the movie as unfunny and offering little appeal outside of Rihanna. Associated Press critic Jake Coyle said Rihanna gives the movie a 'half-hearted injection of star power' and suggested the movie tried and failed to benefit from its basis on existing intellectual property, stating the viewer can 'feel IP-rights pressures animating the entire enterprise.' Washington Post critic Michael O'Sullivan called the movie's plot 'all over the map' and 'hard to follow,' criticizing its setting in a 'multiverse.' The Telegraph critic Robbie Collin called it one of the 'worst films' he has ever seen, stating it has the 'charm and personality of a dented traffic cone,' questioning, 'Did ChatGPT take a pass at the script? And if not, should it have?' How Was 'smurfs' Marketed? Nearly every poster for the movie contained the same phrase: 'Rihanna is Smurfette,' placing the billionaire front and center, though some social media users poked fun at the marketing tactic. 'Would anyone out there care to explain the marketing to me?' one TikTok user said in a video that garnered nearly 300,000 likes, stating the 'Rihanna is Smurfette' line is the 'only consistent thing' about the marketing, with few mentions of co-stars or a director. In a one-star review, The Independent critic Clarisse Loughrey noted the film's posters have 'have repeatedly screamed at us that, 'Rihanna is Smurfette'– as if that's meant to trigger some kind of ecstatic revelation in itself,' questioning, 'why, exactly, is Rihanna Smurfette?' The new 'Smurfs' movie marks a reboot for the film franchise despite its waning success. Three 'Smurfs' films were released between 2011 and 2017 to diminishing box office returns and universally negative reviews. The 2011 film, 'The Smurfs,' was a commercial success, grossing $35 million in its opening weekend and $563 million for its entire worldwide theatrical run, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2011. In 2017, 'Smurfs: The Lost Village' grossed less than half of the first movie, making $197 million in its global run. In 2022, Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Animation picked up the rights to the 'Smurfs' franchise from Sony. How Successful Is Rihanna's Film Career? Rihanna has forayed into film before, though her films have seldom clicked with critics. Her first major film role, 'Battleship' (2012), was panned by critics and underperformed at the box office, grossing $303 million on a huge budget that exceeded $200 million. She played a leading voice role in 'Home' (2015), which grossed nearly $400 million worldwide but earned a middling 53% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. She starred in 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' (2017), which was a box office bomb and earned mostly negative reviews. Rihanna was a member of the 'Ocean's Eight' ensemble cast, which was better received with a 69% Rotten Tomatoes score, and was commercially successful, grossing nearly $300 million on a $70 million budget. She has previously had success writing music for films: In 2023, she wrote and sang 'Lift Me Up' for the 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' soundtrack, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her an Oscar nomination. Forbes Valuation Rihanna is worth an estimated $1 billion, according to Forbes' calculations. She is the world's second-richest female musician, a title she previously held until Taylor Swift surpassed her after her highly profitable Eras Tour. Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, became a billionaire in 2021 largely due to the success of her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, as well as her lingerie line, Savage x Fenty. Further Reading Rihanna Says She Finally 'Cracked The Code' On Long-Awaited New Album (Forbes) 'Superman' Will Fly Over The Heads Of 'Smurfs' & Posh Peeps Who Did Things Last Summer With $60M Second Weekend – Box Office Preview (Deadline)
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
What parents need to know about ‘Smurfs' and more
Age 7+ Positive messages, peril and salty language in animated adventure. The latest take on the beloved blue cartoon characters follows Smurfette (voiced by Rihanna) and her friend No Name Smurf (James Corden) on an adventure to rescue Papa Smurf (John Goodman). While the movie has positive messages about believing in yourself, working as a team and persevering, there are several scenes of peril and animated violence, including a kidnapping, chases, a hero's presumed death, ominous portals and a machine designed to fatally smash Smurfs. There's also a fair bit of salty language, from insults like 'stupid' and 'idiot' to phrases and exclamations in which 'Smurf' is a stand-in for stronger words ('Smurf that,' 'load of Smurf,' 'I Smurfed my pants,' 'let's go Smurf that wizard up' and more). The name 'Kick-A-- Smurf' is bleeped. A past romance is implied between two characters, and colorful drinks are served at a bar. (89 minutes)
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Smurf movie reviews: New film starring Rihanna slammed as 'waste of time'
The new Smurf movie, starring Rihanna and many more huge names, has been slammed by critics as one even called the film a 'Smurf-tacular heap of Smurf' The new Smurf movie starring Rihanna and James Corden has divided critics as one even called the film a "Smurf-tacular heap of Smurf". There was huge excitement for the musical comedy animated movie due to its ensemble cast, which included Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Kurt Russell and John Goodman. Smurf follows Smurfette (played by RiRi), leading the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save Papa Smurf after he was mysteriously taken by evil wizards Gargamel and his brother Razamel. The movie only just came out but is already being bombarded by negative reviews from critics and fans alike. One disappointed critic wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Smurfs is a Smurfing waste of time that falls just short of being a Smurf-tacular heap of Smurf due to some colourful visuals. "Beyond this, nothing about this story is even remotely interesting because of how recycled it all feels. "I even hesitate calling this a kid's movie because it could possibly derail the cognitive skills they've been developing." They went on to call the script 'lazy' and the performances 'bland'. One critic for IGN said the movie could easily occupy kids for a time, but the jokes could also make them restless. It was written: "There are enough colours and sparkles to keep kids occupied for a time, though it's just as easy to see them getting restless (as was the case at my press screening) when Smurfs begins repeating itself and relying too heavily on laughs from the grown-ups in the room." Another reviewer also praised the visuals before criticising the actual storyline. Writing for The Guardian, the critic wrote: "This very uninteresting and uninspired story plods along for an hour and a half, though there are some almost-interesting surreal scenes when our heroes find themselves in weird alt-universe dimensions." One critic shared their confusion on why the Smurfs ended up in real-life Paris, where they were seen running past Parisians' feet without ever interacting with a human. "And no one seems at all concerned by the presence of tiny, blue elves at the discothèque, which renders every single live-action sequence pointless, while implying that the local drug supply is very, very good," they said for The Independent. Some enjoyed the kids' movie, as one called it "a light-hearted and entertaining movie for longtime fans. "While many big names are credited, they don't have a significant impact on the film itself," the critic wrote on Nerdtropolis.
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Smurfs' Review: Rihanna and James Corden's Multiverse Blues
I'm not sure who was asking for them, but the Smurfs are back, in their fourth Hollywood movie. Following 'The Smurfs' (2011), 'The Smurfs 2' (2013) and 'Smurfs: The Lost Village' (2017), all of which were made by Sony, the franchise has moved over to Paramount, suggesting fresh eyes have been cast over the material. Yet 'Smurfs' still feels much the same as in the past, though a couple of new characters are on hand to join Papa Smurf (this time voiced by John Goodman) and Smurfette (Rihanna, stepping into a role previously played by Katy Perry and Demi Lovato): meet No Name Smurf (James Corden) and Papa's bearded, can-do brother Ken (Nick Offerman). In Smurf Village, the only apparent source of distress is finding a 'thing' for No Name. All of the other Smurfs have Seven Dwarf-like traits: there's Brainy, Clumsy, Hefty, Grouchy, Lazy and Vanity. (Shouldn't that be Vain?) No Name has tried every activity in search of a befitting handle, but nothing has stuck. He's in label limbo, like that early-2020s crew known as the Washington Football Team. A graduate student doing advanced work in pop-culture studies might theorize that No Name is a kind of meta-commentary on the Smurfs franchise, which doesn't really have a thing either, being notably lacking in comedy, action, drama, thrills, spectacle, social relevance or anything else one might seek at the multiplex.
