Film & TV

Film Review: Smurfs 2

The Smurfs are back, but so is Gargamel, who still wants to steal their magic blue power.


The-Smurfs-2In the company of very excited grandchildren I ventured in to see the new Smurf movie, wondering what to expect! What I got was a whole lot of fun. The real/animation meld is very good and the characters are well defined. Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Myas are back playing Patrick and Grace but this time they have their young son Blue with them, played by Jacob Tremblay, and Patrick’s father Vincent, played larger-than-life by Brendon Gleeson.

Of course the whole plot centres around the baddie, Gargamel, played very well by Hank Azaria, who still wants to steal the magic blue power from the Smurfs! All the favourites are there as Papa Smurf, voiced by Jonathan Winters, plans for Smurfette’s birthday party. Smurfette (Katy Perry) is snatched away and meets Gargamel’s other creations “the Naughties”, Vexy (Christina Ricci) and Hackus (J.B. Smoove) and they show her the fun in being naughty, but her good nature wins out in the end.

The plot is not complex, but includes some fun chases, and the characters are predictable, but the message is good and well delivered, making it an enjoyable film for all ages. My young companions were full of praise and claimed it was as good, “if not better” than the first Smurf movie. The adults among us agreed there are worse ways to spend a couple of hours!

Reviewed by Fran Edwards

Rating out of 10:  8

The Smurfs 2 opens 12 September 2013

 

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