S*&%@ Happens!…
…according to the official website. Actually it reads “Smurf Happens,” but the implication that it should rhyme with “hit” is way better, and in fact, much funnier than the film. I’ll go one better, the site is better than the film (instead of the usual “book” being better than said flick), and if you can be hassled, is worth a peek. I’ll watch anything with animation as I’m a bit of a hobbyist in 3D, and can usually find something to take away from a movie — usually. The Smurfs 2, admittedly, was very challenging, and even when it came to effects, like jumping to and from portals, it was all so underwhelming. Not only was everything recycled, but the animation technique was some of the weakest and uninspired I’ve seen in quite a while. It’s hard to believe this is a big release, mainstream movie with a good budget. What this film lacked was the charm that other movies of this genre usually have in abundance, and it’s for this reason, among others, that this will never reach the heights of others in this category.
Any movie can be enjoyed by an adult, and in this day and age of high-end, realistic CG, with endless possibilities, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep us interested. In most cases, if you can keep the child happy, then you’re already halfway there, and I’m speaking from experience, but this film didn’t have a single thing for my 14 year-old daughter Sam and I, that was worthy of mention.
Smurfette (Katy Perry) has had a nightmare, the same one she has every year on her birthday, where she dreams she used to be a bad Smurf, but Papa Smurf reassures her it doesn’t matter, it only matters who she is now. She wanders about Smurf village thinking no one has remembered her birthday, but they have, and are only pretending. Gargamel (Hank Azaria) is an evil magician, who wants to learn how to make the secret Smurf formula, but to do this he needs to capture Smurfette, so he sends Vexy (Christina Ricci) through the portal to get her. The Smurfs need to get Smurfette back and with the help of some friends, go on an adventure to Paris, where they try to prevent Gargamel following through with his evil plan of world domination.
*****