The Smurfs

Plot Summary

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours -- in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. imdb

Movie Box

Director	Raja Gosnell
Producer	Jordan Kerner
Screenplay	J. David Stem
	David N. Weiss
	Jay Scherick
	David Ronn
Story	J. David Stem
	David N. Weiss
Based on	The Smurfs by Peyo
Music	Heitor Pereira
Cinematography	Phil Meheux
Editing	Sabrina Plisco
Studio	Sony Pictures Animation
Distributor	Columbia Pictures
Release Date	29 July 2011
Running Time	1 hour, 42 minutes

Cast

Neil Patrick Harris	Patrick Winslow
Jayma Mays	Grace Winslow
Hank Azaria	Gargamel
Sofia Vergara	Odile
Jonathan Winters	Papa Smurf
Katy Perry	Smurfette
Fred Armisen	Brainy Smurf
Alan Cumming	Gutsy Smurf
George Lopez	Grouchy Smurf
Anton Yelchin	Clumsy Smurf
Tom Kane	Narrator Smurf

REEL Review
Neil Patrick Harries does it once again. It takes a good actor to blend himself into any role, especially when he has to effectively make the audience feel the sense of his character, in this case to be a husband and a soon to be father, while in real life he is actually gay. Neil has always been the actor that surprises his audience. We watch him as how he womanizes in How I Met Your Mother tv series, a blind tutor in Beastly, and now a responsible and loving husband without any stain of gayness. He is genuinely convincing.

It was just the second time I saw Jayma Mays in a movie (first was in Epic Movie). I often see her in some tv series - Heroes and Glee. She marks to me as mysophobic Emma Pillsburry (Glee). In this film she helped Harris to bring out their characters as Winslow couple. And also a kind-hearted woman, and a wife who loves unconditionally. Neil and Jayma actually looks good onscreen. They did not have so much romantic stuff, but they showcased what it has to be husband and wife. If only Neil is not gay and Jayma is not yet married, they better be sweethearts in real life. ♥

And as with the antagonist Gargamel, Hank Azaria was quite funny. He  was supposed to be freakish, powerful wizard but he does not look like a frightening one. He sometimes looks like overreacting, but I think he has to. It just has to be that way to portray the skimpy and bird-brained wizard when looking for the right words (thanks to his cat). He acted just right enough for the audience to smurfingly laugh.

And since when Katy Perry has been a voice actress? Yep, she is Smurfette. Good voicing though.

Raja Gosnell, the director, has always been involved in this film genre - comedy and family. For me this is his best film. The Smurfs is a way up than Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2 and Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

The Smurfs is another half-animated and half-live action film. The filming should be carefully set, as the actors will be acting and delivering the lines without seeing those little blue creatures. "When time came to film a scene that would include actors and Smurfs, each Smurf was represented by a different colored dot and the actors had to remember which dot was which Smurf", wiki. Talking to no one seems to be stupid, what difference does it have with dots? It's a tough job for the actors and the animators. I just noticed that whenever there is a scene when a smurf has to be carried, often times it does not look realistic. There is a sort of an animation glitch in there.

The story is just another common and simple kiddie tale. Yet, The Smurfs movie is highly enjoyable by kids and adults.

Blue is not always a sad color. It can be smurfingly fun and happy. This film is smurftacular!

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