Smurfs: Another Bland & Forgettable Big-Screen Attempt (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Between 2011 and 2017, three different "Smurfs" films were brought to the big screen, attempting to keep alive the spirit of the beloved comics from the '50s, which were most famously turned into a popular cartoon series that ran for nine seasons between 1981 and 1989. Sadly, the recent films were not received very well by critics, but that hardly stopped them from being rather successful at the box office, with the first of them grossing well over half a billion dollars worldwide. After an eight-year hiatus, Paramount has now taken over from Sony and opted to try their hand at it with the animated/live-action hybrid "Smurfs." Will they be able to find as much success with it as the previous studio had, or have audiences perhaps grown a little weary of the little blue creatures?

As the film opens, a brief prologue explains that the Intergalactic Evil Wizard Alliance once attempted to remove all goodness from the universe using four magic books, but were foiled when Papa Smurf (Voice of John Goodman) recovered one of them and hid it in Smurf Village. Back in present day, we find No Name Smurf (Voice of James Corden) desperately trying to find the thing that he will be known for, but having trouble discovering exactly what it is. While out wandering the forest, he makes a wish and suddenly finds that he has magical powers, the use of which accidentally gives away the location of the village to Razamel (Voice of JP Karliak), a member of the Alliance and brother of Gargamel (Voice of JP Karliak). This leads to the capture of Papa Smurf and the subsequent formation of a rescue team to get him back, but will they be able to before Razamel is able to extract the location of the book from him?

Indeed, "The Smurfs" were quite the hit back in the '80s with their charming & delightful TV show, and even though the previous films have been box office hits, the common consensus is that filmmakers have yet to successfully transfer these traits over to the big screen outings, mainly dubbing them mediocre & rather bland. However, that has not dissuaded Paramount from giving it a go themselves, which brings us to the fourth iteration in which they hope to break that streak of negative reactions.

Sadly, when it comes to "Smurfs," not a whole lot has changed in regards to its essential elements. The story is still a little bland & simplistic, basically providing the bare minimum of development to send the gang off on an adventure to save the universe from being taken over by evil, with protagonists & antagonists that are equally minimally developed and even come across as rather interchangeable within their respective groups.

Of course, with it being a film for little kids, you have to cut it a little slack, but it seems doubtful that even they would find much to enjoy about this little outing that doesn't appear to have had that much thought put into it. The animation is bright & vibrant, which they'll probably enjoy, but even so, it comes off as a little clunky throughout, especially when it tries to mix animation and live-action. It's hardly terrible, but it does seem like they could've tried a little harder in that regard.

In the end, that seems to be the main take-away. The filmmakers here certainly could've tried a lot harder in regards to several of its key aspects, including the ever-vital story & characters. As a result, we end up with another forgettable, uninspired outing for the beloved gang, one that is once again lacking the spark that made them so enjoyable in the first place. With this one being rather quickly dismissed by critics and being the first to underperform at the box office, we can only hope that, if another attempt is to be made, whomever takes over will take more time to get at what made these characters so fun & charming in the first place. That way, perhaps they'll finally get the delightful big screen outing that they deserve.

Video/Audio:

"Smurfs" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The picture is perfectly sharp & clear throughout the brief 90-minute duration, perfectly preserving its bright, vibrant (though somewhat clunky) animation. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Paramount has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's Blu-ray debut.

Special Features:

Blue in the Booth: Voicing the Smurfs (5 Minutes): A featurette that takes a brief look behind the scenes at recording the voices.

There's a Smurf Like Me: Blue, Old, and New (4 Minutes): A featurette that has the cast discussing their characters and their similarities to them.

A World They've Never Seen: Animating Smurfs (5 Minutes): A featurette that delves into the film's animation process.

Composing the Blue (5 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on the music.

In the Club with DJ Snake (3 Minutes): A featurette the explores filming the club scene.

Higher Love Music Video (3 Minutes)

Friend of Mine Music Video (4 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Chris Miller's "Smurfs" is sadly another bland & forgettable outing for the beloved gang that once again skimps on its most important elements of story & character development, and even though it's aimed primarily at little kids, it seems doubtful that even they would find much here of entertainment value outside of its bright & vibrant animation, ultimately leaving fans of the popular characters to wait once more for another attempt that will hopefully do them justice.

Score: 2.5/5

Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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