Sometimes, we do need a movie that only caters for the sole purpose of bringing amusement to the small children. The fact is that small children do not need to pretend to hate something we hate. As long as a movie makes them laughing and jumping on the couch, it is an entertainment served only to them and of course, a job’s done. This month, “The Smurfs 2” may just be that one movie after all. Unfortunately, this Raja Gosnell’s sequel to the 2011 movie does not grow in me, not a bit. But it is more of a decision to keep this movie at bay considering how they destroyed the first movie with a charm so absent from the Saturday morning cartoon. Still, that does not warrant me to write something bias for this sequel nevertheless. While the movie is currently panned by the critics, is “The Smurfs 2” really that bad?
Not that bad but not that good either. For a sequel that takes everything so similar to the first one, “The Smurfs 2” leaves absolutely nothing refreshing on-screen for this new adventure. Instead, average adults will find that the plot is basically recycling the same old-story we have seen before and generally risk-free. Not a bad thing to do after all by staying safe. The only modifications are perhaps this time Smurfette is the one who get needs help and the action takes the centre stage in Paris – something that the trailers have already taken care for. I do wish they would have made a movie where the action takes place entirely in the world of Smurfs and does anyone remember the silly old king and his knights who were living nearby the enchanted land? (P/S: Video embedded below just in case you do not remember).
After all, there is something lacking in this movie that grasps for some high-smurf-spirits. Just like the first movie, the major crime committed is to change some details from your Saturday cartoon show into something so ambiguously far away from the charms and the embodiment of Peyo’s lovely creation. This is the lost nostalgia – something so fond about the Smurfs is lost. On top of that, it is also easy to spot how weak and lazy the writings are. Besides rehashing the story, one cannot deny how messy some of the story-line is. For some of those critical moments, the story is practically unsure which directions and ultimate destination it should take. In the end, the story goes on by auto-pilot. Even the jokes are scarcely funny. Slap those with repetitive one-liners and gag, the entertainment value for any adults could be oddly non-achievable. But despite some lousy jokes, some are still serviceable.
Although there is nothing much to offer in this sequel, there is still one thing that works incredibly well. How about some requisite lesson about family, unconditional love and acceptance? There is a moment when Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Papa Smurf (the late Jonathan Winters) talked about family love which leads on to exemplify in the rocky relationship between Papa Smurfs and Smurfette (Katy Perry), as well as running in parallel between Patrick and step-father Victor (Brendan Gleeson). Now that is a rare moment in the movie that sparkles, in otherwise a forgettable movie for the adults. The special effects are designed to look as fun as possible for the kids. The Ferris Wheel rolling in Paris and the two bird-race scenes are certainly a scene-stealer that screams 3D all over.
In the end, “The Smurfs 2” is not a bad family-oriented movie; just that it is forgettable and fails to deliver new storyline that makes it distinctive from the first movie to go along with lazy plot and the missing charms somewhere on the pipeline.
Genre: Comedy/Animation
Classification: U
Release Date: 8 August 2013 (only in GSC International Screens)
Running Time: 105 minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Director: Raja Gosnell
Screenplay: J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick, David Ronn and Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Jayma Mays, Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, Christina Ricci
Plot: The Smurfs are back with this follow-up to the blockbuster smash hit from 2011. J. David Stem and David Weiss provide the script, from a story they wrote with Jay Scherick and David Ronn.
Classification: U
Release Date: 8 August 2013 (only in GSC International Screens)
Running Time: 105 minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Director: Raja Gosnell
Screenplay: J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick, David Ronn and Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Jayma Mays, Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, Christina Ricci
Plot: The Smurfs are back with this follow-up to the blockbuster smash hit from 2011. J. David Stem and David Weiss provide the script, from a story they wrote with Jay Scherick and David Ronn.
After all, there is something lacking in this movie that grasps for some high-smurf-spirits. Just like the first movie, the major crime committed is to change some details from your Saturday cartoon show into something so ambiguously far away from the charms and the embodiment of Peyo’s lovely creation. This is the lost nostalgia – something so fond about the Smurfs is lost. On top of that, it is also easy to spot how weak and lazy the writings are. Besides rehashing the story, one cannot deny how messy some of the story-line is. For some of those critical moments, the story is practically unsure which directions and ultimate destination it should take. In the end, the story goes on by auto-pilot. Even the jokes are scarcely funny. Slap those with repetitive one-liners and gag, the entertainment value for any adults could be oddly non-achievable. But despite some lousy jokes, some are still serviceable.
Although there is nothing much to offer in this sequel, there is still one thing that works incredibly well. How about some requisite lesson about family, unconditional love and acceptance? There is a moment when Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Papa Smurf (the late Jonathan Winters) talked about family love which leads on to exemplify in the rocky relationship between Papa Smurfs and Smurfette (Katy Perry), as well as running in parallel between Patrick and step-father Victor (Brendan Gleeson). Now that is a rare moment in the movie that sparkles, in otherwise a forgettable movie for the adults. The special effects are designed to look as fun as possible for the kids. The Ferris Wheel rolling in Paris and the two bird-race scenes are certainly a scene-stealer that screams 3D all over.
In the end, “The Smurfs 2” is not a bad family-oriented movie; just that it is forgettable and fails to deliver new storyline that makes it distinctive from the first movie to go along with lazy plot and the missing charms somewhere on the pipeline.
MY RATING:
Story: 2.0
Casts: 3.0
Cinematography: 3.5
Effects: 4.0
GREEN-TEA-O-METER: 10.1/20.0
