Latest news with #SmurfVillage
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: A bit of a blue mess
THE vibrant, pint-sized inhabitants of the forest are on the big screen once more with the fully animated new "Smurfs" movie, a 2025 reboot that seeks to rekindle the magic of Peyo's beloved creations. But after years of mixed cinematic outings, does this latest foray capture the whimsical charm that has captivated generations, or is it another attempt to capitalise on a classic franchise? Directed by Chris Miller and boasting a voice cast like Rihanna as a feisty Smurfette and James Corden as the rather aptly named No Name Smurf, this iteration doesn't lack star power. The animation itself is a visual treat – bright, colourful, and a delightful departure from the somewhat jarring live-action/CGI hybrids of yesteryear. On the large cinema screen, the Smurf Village and their perilous journeys are rendered with appealing detail, which might just be enough to enchant young viewers. So is the new "Smurfs" movie something that fans and families should check out? While some audience members might be more forgiving, finding some entertainment in its simple shenanigans, other critical viewers might find the storyline a bit of a blue mess. The narrative centres on No Name Smurf's quest for identity, intertwined with a mission to rescue Papa Smurf from the clutches of the mischievous Gargamel and his equally malevolent brother, Razamel. The plot attempts to introduce new lore and even dabbles in the multiverse concept, but it often feels convoluted and lacking in wit or substance. The theme of self-discovery, while admirable, gets lost amid the quest. The pacing, too, is a mixed bag depending on your patience . While some might argue that it maintains a brisk enough clip to hold a child's attention, others might lament periods of tedium, particularly between the more animated sequences and the film's musical numbers. While Rihanna's Smurfette does lend her vocal talents, the songs don't always integrate into the adventure. As for the action scenes, they are present, certainly, but few are memorable. The film relies more on general adventurous antics than set pieces. And while the voice cast is A-list, their performances can be described as serviceable rather than standout. When measured against its predecessors, this 2025 "Smurfs" fares surprisingly well compared with previous cinematic outings. It's not that this new movie is brilliant. Rather, its perceived quality is boosted by the subpar production and storylines of prior Smurfs films. And for those who grew up with the classic cartoon series, this latest offering might feel off-key. It struggles to recapture the simple charm, the gentle humour and the enduring heart of the original tales. The new elements and the pursuit of a grander adventure can dilute the essence that made the "Smurfs" so endearing in the first place. For families with very young children seeking vibrant visuals and a straightforward, if somewhat uninspired, adventure, "Smurfs" (2025) might provide an hour and a half of distraction. But for anyone hoping for an engaging, laugh-out-loud, or nostalgically resonant cinematic experience, it might be best to just revisit the animated series instead. This Smurfy adventure, while visually appealing, often feels like a missed opportunity to bring the little blue creatures back to their glorious roots. SMURFS Directed by Chris Miller Featuring the voice talents of Rihanna, Amy Sedaris, James Corden, Kurt Russell, John Goodman Duration: 92 mins Classification: P12
San Francisco Chronicle
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Movie Review: 'Smurfs' has Rihanna but not much else
Justin Timberlake had 'Trolls.' Rihanna has 'Smurfs.' Now, we patiently await a 'Gummi Bears' with the Biebs. But first we have 'Smurfs,' which, like 'Trolls,' gets as much mileage as it can from its pop singer-voice actor. Rihanna voices Smurfette and supplies a new song, giving a half-hearted injection of star power to an otherwise uninspired, modestly scaled, kiddo-friendly cartoon feature. 'Smurfs,' directed by Chris Miller ( 'Puss in Boots,' 'Shrek the Third'), cribs heavily from the 'Trolls' playbook. Both feature brightly colored little forest creatures that like a good tune. In the opening of 'Smurfs,' Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is DJing for a dancing Smurf Village. As the many Smurfs gyrate next to mushroom houses, you might find yourself wondering how we got here. And what, exactly, is a Smurf, anyway? It's been nearly 70 years since Belgian comic artist Peyo created 'Les Schtroumpfs,' though most of those still familiar with the little blue fellas remember them from the 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The Smurfs have never really transcended their Saturday morning cartoon origins. Neither a pair of live-action hybrid movies in the early 2010s or a 2017 animated release have done much more than keep us vaguely aware of what a Phrygian cap is. And 'Smurfs' is unlikely to change that. The best thing that can be said for the latest attempt to reboot the blue Belgian beings is that it maintains the light feel of a morning cartoon. Even with a brief SpongeBob SquarePants short running ahead of it, 'Smurfs' — seemingly designed to be the least ambitious of all possible parent-child outings — passes in about 90 minutes. The pressing issue in Miller's film is that one Smurf, No Name Smurf (James Corden), lacks a defining feature. There are so many other labels already taken that all that's left for him are Clog Making Smurf and Shark Taming Smurf — and neither of those is promising, either. When No Name Smurf suddenly grows magical powers, he gets a boost in confidence but inadvertently sets off a dangerous chain reaction. The burst of magic reveals the location of Smurf Village and a long-hidden magical book that, if reunited with three others, confers world domination. (Fun fact: This is also what happens if you reunify all first editions of James Joyce's 'Ulysses.') The outburst brings the attention of the evil wizard Razamel, brother of Gargamel. (Both are excellently voiced by JP Karliak.) And the Smurfs are cast into a chase through dimensions to rescue the kidnapped Papa Smurf and prevent Razamel from seizing the fourth book. The trip takes them through Paris, Munich, Australia and, briefly, Claymation. The zaniness is often forced. There are also Koosh ball-like creatures named Snooter Poots with a leader named Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne). And if you were ever hoping to hear Rihanna sing, as a Smurf, from the seat of a kangaroo pouch, your movie has finally arrived. But any expectations of something more quickly dissipate, despite the fact that 'Smurfs' was scripted by Pam Brady, the screenwriter of 'Hot Rod' and co-writer of 'Team America: World Police.' Most of the attempts at adult-winking gags are hackneyed jokes about Zoom, podcasting, spam filters and LinkedIn.
Hamilton Spectator
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Movie Review: ‘Smurfs' has Rihanna but not much else
Justin Timberlake had 'Trolls.' Rihanna has 'Smurfs.' Now, we patiently await a 'Gummi Bears' with the Biebs. But first we have 'Smurfs,' which, like 'Trolls,' gets as much mileage as it can from its pop singer-voice actor. Rihanna voices Smurfette and supplies a new song, giving a half-hearted injection of star power to an otherwise uninspired, modestly scaled, kiddo-friendly cartoon feature. 'Smurfs,' directed by Chris Miller ( 'Puss in Boots,' 'Shrek the Third'), cribs heavily from the 'Trolls' playbook. Both feature brightly colored little forest creatures that like a good tune. In the opening of 'Smurfs,' Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is DJing for a dancing Smurf Village. As the many Smurfs gyrate next to mushroom houses, you might find yourself wondering how we got here. And what, exactly, is a Smurf, anyway? It's been nearly 70 years since Belgian comic artist Peyo created 'Les Schtroumpfs,' though most of those still familiar with the little blue fellas remember them from the 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The Smurfs have never really transcended their Saturday morning cartoon origins. Neither a pair of live-action hybrid movies in the early 2010s or a 2017 animated release have done much more than keep us vaguely aware of what a Phrygian cap is. And 'Smurfs' is unlikely to change that. The best thing that can be said for the latest attempt to reboot the blue Belgian beings is that it maintains the light feel of a morning cartoon. Even with a brief SpongeBob SquarePants short running ahead of it, 'Smurfs' — seemingly designed to be the least ambitious of all possible parent-child outings — passes in about 90 minutes. The pressing issue in Miller's film is that one Smurf, No Name Smurf (James Corden), lacks a defining feature. There are so many other labels already taken that all that's left for him are Clog Making Smurf and Shark Taming Smurf — and neither of those is promising, either. When No Name Smurf suddenly grows magical powers, he gets a boost in confidence but inadvertently sets off a dangerous chain reaction. The burst of magic reveals the location of Smurf Village and a long-hidden magical book that, if reunited with three others, confers world domination. (Fun fact: This is also what happens if you reunify all first editions of James Joyce's 'Ulysses.') The outburst brings the attention of the evil wizard Razamel, brother of Gargamel. (Both are excellently voiced by JP Karliak.) And the Smurfs are cast into a chase through dimensions to rescue the kidnapped Papa Smurf and prevent Razamel from seizing the fourth book. The trip takes them through Paris, Munich, Australia and, briefly, Claymation. The zaniness is often forced. There are also Koosh ball-like creatures named Snooter Poots with a leader named Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne). And if you were ever hoping to hear Rihanna sing, as a Smurf, from the seat of a kangaroo pouch, your movie has finally arrived. But any expectations of something more quickly dissipate, despite the fact that 'Smurfs' was scripted by Pam Brady, the screenwriter of 'Hot Rod' and co-writer of 'Team America: World Police.' Most of the attempts at adult-winking gags are hackneyed jokes about Zoom, podcasting, spam filters and LinkedIn. You can almost feel IP-rights pressures animating the entire enterprise. See, there are other Smurf names out there. What about Corporate Mandate Smurf? 'Smurfs,' a Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for action, language and some rude humor. Running time: 92 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Movie Review: ‘Smurfs' has Rihanna but not much else
Justin Timberlake had 'Trolls.' Rihanna has 'Smurfs.' Now, we patiently await a 'Gummi Bears' with the Biebs. But first we have 'Smurfs,' which, like 'Trolls,' gets as much mileage as it can from its pop singer-voice actor. Rihanna voices Smurfette and supplies a new song, giving a half-hearted injection of star power to an otherwise uninspired, modestly scaled, kiddo-friendly cartoon feature. 'Smurfs,' directed by Chris Miller ( 'Puss in Boots,' 'Shrek the Third'), cribs heavily from the 'Trolls' playbook. Both feature brightly colored little forest creatures that like a good tune. In the opening of 'Smurfs,' Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is DJing for a dancing Smurf Village. As the many Smurfs gyrate next to mushroom houses, you might find yourself wondering how we got here. And what, exactly, is a Smurf, anyway? It's been nearly 70 years since Belgian comic artist Peyo created 'Les Schtroumpfs,' though most of those still familiar with the little blue fellas remember them from the 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The Smurfs have never really transcended their Saturday morning cartoon origins. Neither a pair of live-action hybrid movies in the early 2010s or a 2017 animated release have done much more than keep us vaguely aware of what a Phrygian cap is. And 'Smurfs' is unlikely to change that. The best thing that can be said for the latest attempt to reboot the blue Belgian beings is that it maintains the light feel of a morning cartoon. Even with a brief SpongeBob SquarePants short running ahead of it, 'Smurfs' — seemingly designed to be the least ambitious of all possible parent-child outings — passes in about 90 minutes. The pressing issue in Miller's film is that one Smurf, No Name Smurf (James Corden), lacks a defining feature. There are so many other labels already taken that all that's left for him are Clog Making Smurf and Shark Taming Smurf — and neither of those is promising, either. When No Name Smurf suddenly grows magical powers, he gets a boost in confidence but inadvertently sets off a dangerous chain reaction. The burst of magic reveals the location of Smurf Village and a long-hidden magical book that, if reunited with three others, confers world domination. (Fun fact: This is also what happens if you reunify all first editions of James Joyce's 'Ulysses.') The outburst brings the attention of the evil wizard Razamel, brother of Gargamel. (Both are excellently voiced by JP Karliak.) And the Smurfs are cast into a chase through dimensions to rescue the kidnapped Papa Smurf and prevent Razamel from seizing the fourth book. The trip takes them through Paris, Munich, Australia and, briefly, Claymation. The zaniness is often forced. There are also Koosh ball-like creatures named Snooter Poots with a leader named Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne). And if you were ever hoping to hear Rihanna sing, as a Smurf, from the seat of a kangaroo pouch, your movie has finally arrived. But any expectations of something more quickly dissipate, despite the fact that 'Smurfs' was scripted by Pam Brady, the screenwriter of 'Hot Rod' and co-writer of 'Team America: World Police.' Most of the attempts at adult-winking gags are hackneyed jokes about Zoom, podcasting, spam filters and LinkedIn. You can almost feel IP-rights pressures animating the entire enterprise. See, there are other Smurf names out there. What about Corporate Mandate Smurf? 'Smurfs,' a Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for action, language and some rude humor. Running time: 92 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rihanna thrilled to see Smurfs movie being 'birthed'
Rihanna is thrilled that Smurfs is "finally being birthed". The 37-year-old star voices the part of Smurfette in the new animated movie, and Rihanna is delighted that her kids can now finally enjoy the movie. The chart-topping singer - who has RZA, three, and Riot, 23 months, with A$AP Rocky - told Extra: "We get to watch the movie together for the first time. I get to watch it in its full completion. So, that should be interesting. "Everybody gets to watch it on the 18th. So, we're really going for it now. It's finally being birthed." Rihanna - who stars in the new movie alongside the likes of James Corden, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Alex Winter, and Hannah Waddingham - admitted that the film's premiere felt "so far away" when the project began. She said: "We've been working on it for so long. So, like, a few years now, actually. And it's happening … You know, you start working on something and 2025 feels so far away and then we're here." Despite this, Rihanna's sons weren't aware of her involvement with the movie. However, the singer - who has largely put her music career on hold in recent years, in order to focus on other ventures - was looking forward to seeing the reaction of her boys. Asked if they knew that she was playing Smurfette, Rihanna replied: "The boys know nothing, they're being introduced to Smurf Village right now, the blue carpet, and next is going to be me watching their reaction when they realise my voice is coming out of the screen. I can't wait for that one." Rihanna was a Smurfs fan during her younger years, and Ramsey Naito, the president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, thinks she's perfectly suited to the role of Smurfette. Ramsey recently told Variety: "When we first met with her, we learned that the Smurfs was her favourite show growing up, and from that moment, everything just clicked. "It felt completely natural to reimagine the Smurfs for today's audience with Rihanna as Smurfette because her genuine love for the franchise made her the perfect fit." Rihanna's "passion" for the Smurfs franchise actually shone through during the production process. The Paramount boss also observed that the film's "secret ingredient is love". Ramsey said: "I think when you're refreshing a beloved franchise like The Smurfs, the secret ingredient is love. And that love must come from people who truly care about the characters and their story. "Rihanna brought that passion, and it shines through in every part of the film."
