The Smurfs 2 (2013)
Certified: U
Duration: 104 minutes
Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Starring: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Jayma Mays, Nancy O’Dell
Voicing of: Jonathan Winters, Fred Armisen, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Anton Yelchin, George Lopez, John Oliver, Christina Ricci, J. B. Smoove, Mario Lopez
KRS release
The Smurfs (2011) made over €560 million, left the critics blue and sold gazillions of merchandise. The Smurfs 2 walks the same walk and all those children who enjoyed the zany escapades of the cute Belgian creations will find lots to like in this second outing.
Director Raja Gosnell, who had struck gold with the first Smurfs outing and the likes of Scooby-Doo and Beverly Hills Chihuahua, delivers a family- friendly film that is in the same vein of the first feature. The immediate difference is that this film has better special and visual effects, making the Smurfs more well-rounded creatures.
Katy Perry voices Smurfette, the only female in the Smurf population. She had originally been created by the evil magician Gargamel (Hank Azaria). She had to be his weapon against the Smurfs, but Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters) had changed her from the malicious and grey creature she was into the delightful and blue Smurfette everyone knows. She is, however, feeling a bit doubtful about herself.
Meanwhile, Gargamel, who remained in the human world since the last film, has become quite a renowned magician. This all due to the substance he had taken from the Smurfs in the same film.
His problem is that the substance is running out. In come the Naughties: Vexy and Hackus (Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove), two creatures that resemble the Smurfs but are given the mission to infiltrate them and steal Smurfette so that Gargamel can unlock the Smurf secret and create his own Smurfs.
This leads to Papa Smurf going on a rescue mission along with Vanity Smurf (John Oliver), Grouchy Smurf (George Lopez) and Clumsy Smurf (Anton Yelchin) to France with the help of their human friends Patrick and Grace (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mayes).
If Gargamel’s evil plan is not stopped, he could own both human and Smurf world!
Of the live actors, it is Azaria, in his zany and over-the-top performance as Gargamel that really comes out trumps. Brendan Gleeson’s interpretation and transformation is quite a highlight of the film, especially as the actor is not known for this kind of material.
Nearly two hours of entertainment that will keep the kids quiet in the school holidays
The film is a mix of cutey-pie attitude, Smurfishness and slapstick galore. Couple this with the adventure, now shifting to Paris and the international high jinks provide an added appeal.
The charming essence that makes the Smurfs so popular is well brought on screen, delivering a feel-good fun style that is enviable.
Overall, The Smurfs 2 has a good grasp of what the parents are looking for: nearly two hours of entertainment that will keep the kids quiet in the doldrum days that are the school holidays.