SiftPop

by Shane Conto, Staff Writer

How many adaptations of Smurfs do we really need in the 21st century? Many people grew up loving these little blue creatures, and like so many other classic properties, they’ve been brought into a new age. In fact, this has happened twice to the Smurfs. The live action entries from the early 2010s fell quite flat, disappointing fans, and 2017’s The Lost Village certainly didn’t leave a lasting impression. But a new studio (Paramount) has the lead — it’s time for Smurfs! 

Does director Chris Miller capture the spirit of the original series? In some ways, he does. In other ways, this new Smurfs film is actively trying to make things more modern. It is a musical, which isn’t inherently a bad decision, but there is something quite inconsistent with the music. The opening number is from the star of the film, Rihanna, and involves Papa Smurf (John Goodman) being a DJ — a bunch of Smurfs are grinding and gyrating, and hard staring at the camera. This was not ever needed in a Smurfs movie. 

But there are some more traditional style musical numbers, mostly sung by Rihanna and James Corden, that fit the Smurfs’ vibe much better. Smurfs is clunky in its tone, and that is one of its biggest struggles. It is at its best when focusing on the fantastical elements of the story and settings. For instance, the limited moments in live action are so random and out of place to the point of taking you out of the film. The humor is quite inconsistent as well, with only a few running gags consistently landing. 

The audience is introduced to a big fantasy story and MacGuffins with some opening exposition filled with magic, wizards, and plenty of fantasy creatures. That works so well, and feels like what a Smurfs movie should be. But the film speed runs through most of its narrative beats with its breakneck “kid pacing,” which is frustrating. 

There is a strong core journey of No Name (Corden), who doesn’t have his thing. Smurfette (Rihanna) is a great partner on this journey, as she needs to confront her past and original nefarious purpose. Papa Smurf is kidnapped, and it gives the Smurfs a good motivation to go out into the world. Then you get to meet Papa’s estranged brothers and the strained brotherly bond between Gargamel and Razamel (both voiced by JP Karliak), giving the film some thematic through lines about brothers. Then there are the Poots, who are some of the cutest/ugliest little creatures in movies. But when those credits roll, you realize all the good and bad of the film were rushed through, and Miller and his crew were trying to navigate too much. 

Rihanna stands out more for her singing, but her voice acting is solid. The exact same thing can be said about Corden. It is sad to say, but it feels like Goodman is just going through the motions as Papa Smurf. But Nick Offerman and Kurt Russell do a little more swaggering in their turns as Papa’s brothers, Ken and Ron. Karliak has a ball creating two voices, and there are plenty of other recognizable names, like Amy Sedaris, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, and Hannah Waddingham. The Smurfs crew have some fun standouts with Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, and especially Alex Winter (who is a real fun time as Hefty Smurf). But the surprising standouts of the cast are not any of the Smurfs at all. Dan Levy is a fun and subtle addition portraying Razamel’s hipster intern. But the show stealer is Natasha Lyonne as Mama Poot. We all need more Mama Poot and Lyonne in our lives with this kind of energy and charm. Prepare for the Poots spinoff… we will all be there.

Smurfs is not a good film, but it has fun energy and some good laughs. It is better than the live action films of the 2010s, and it is a more memorable film than The Lost Village, but alas, neither of those were high bars to overcome. 

Rating: Didn’t Like It

Smurfs is currently playing in theaters

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You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd