Review of The Smurfs 2 (2013) by Bruce N — 16 Jan 2014

"Believe it or not, "The Smurfs 2" is better than the first "Smurfs" movie but that isn't saying Smurfin much.".

DVD Movie Review: The Smurfs 2.

Date Viewed: December 3 2013.

Directed By Raja Gosnell (Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Scooby-Doo, Big Momma's House, Home Alone 3 and The Smurfs).

Screenplay By J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick, David Ronn and Karey Kirkpatrick, Story By J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick & David Ronn, Based on characters and creations by Peyo.

Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, Brendan Gleeson, Jacob Tremblay and Nancy O'Dell (as herself).

Featuring the voices of Katy Perry, Jonathan Winters, John Oliver, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin, Christina Ricci, J.B. Smoove, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Tom Kane, Mario Lopez, Frank Welker, Shaquille O'Neal, Jimmy Kimmel, B.J. Novak, Paul Reubens, Shaun White, Jeff Foxworthy, Gary Basaraba, Adam Wylie, John Kassir and Kenan Thompson.

I truly hated "The Smurfs", I called it in my review "a stupefying dumb family movie". The Smurfs are nothing more than tiny blue bubbleheads and they are more annoying than Alvin and the Chipmunks. What depressed me about "The Smurfs" is that the filmmakers we're going for the old "Alvin and the Chiomunks" route instead of trying something new with cartoon artist Peyo' creations and it became a $561 million dollar smash worldwide. After the first "Smurfs" movie became a huge hit, I dreaded the inventible sequel but now we have it and "The Smurfs 2" believe it or not, it's actually better than the first movie but that isn't saying Smurfin much.

"The Smurfs 2" improves on the original mostly because it's five screenwriters at least have a story this time around, they got rid of Sofia Vergara and I got one laugh believe it or not, by Hank Azaria who once again plays the evil wizard Gargamel. "The Smurfs 2" begins with a Smurfette origin story, Ha Ha, how original. After Wolverine, Superman, Spider-Man and Batman had their origin stories now it's Smurfette's turn. It is revealed that Smurfette (voiced by Katy Perry) was originally created by Gargamel (Azaria) to be evil and wrack havoc on Smurfville but Papa Smurf (voiced by Jonathan Winters) took her in and helped her to be good. Some years later, after the events of the first movie, Gargamel has now become a famous magician in Paris, France known as "Gargamel the Great". He is so popular, he even makes headlines on Entertainment Tonight hosted by Nancy O'Dell (playing herself).

Gargamel is stilled obsessed with capturing the Smurfs and so he creates mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties in hopes of letting him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence to power up his magic. Gargamel then realizes he needs a real Smurf in order for his plan to succeed so he kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris.

Back in Smurfville, it has gotten much worse since I last saw it, The Smurfs have their type of Facebook called Smurfbook and two new Smurfs have joined the mushroom village, their names are Passive-Aggressive Smurf (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel) and Smooth Smurf (voiced by Shaquille O'Neal). After hearing the news that Smurfette has been kidnapped, Papa Smurf, Grouchy Smurf (voiced by George Lopez), Clumsy Smurf (voiced by Anton Yelchin) and Vanity Smurf (voiced by The Daily Show's John Oliver) return back to New York to ask their human friends Patrick & Grace Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays) for help to rescue Smurfette. As soon the Winslows and the Smurfs make it to Paris, Smurfette is making friends with the Naughties, Vexy and.

Hackus (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove) and they cause mischief and chaos in Paris.

The question is, will Smurfette embrace her new Naughty friends and Gargamel as her real family or will she go back to her Smurf kind in Smurfville. The answer is, I don't care.

Instead of Sofia Vergara, some how they managed to get the great English actor Brendan Gleeson to be in this. Seriously Brendan, how did this happen? Do you need the money that badly? He plays Patrick's Irish stepfather who gets turned into a duck by Gargamel and when he turns back into human form, he falls down naked on a pile of smurfs.

Neil Patrick Harris can be a funny guy, whether on TV's "How I Met Your Mother" or as host for the Emmys, he is always charismatic and charming but these aren't doing him any favors. Hank Azaria too can be a funny actor but my God, Gargamel is such an annoying character. Kids will probably find it cute and okay, but "The Smurfs 2" is nowhere near good, it is amazingly unfunny and it is once again filled with unnessacary product placement. "The Smurfs 2" also has the unfortunate distinction of being Jonathan Winters' last movie before his death last April.

I feel so sorry for Winters right now.

Let's talk about director Raja Gosnell. Back in May everyone was bashing M. Night Shyamalan for "After Earth" saying "Nighty Nighty Night, M. Night" and "He is the worst director ever!". Raja Gosnell makes the worst movies today I think. His movies maybe make tons of money but they are awful, he's responsible for "Home Alone 3", the two "Scooby-Doo" movies, "Big Momma's House", "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and of course, the first "Smurfs" movie. Why hasn't somebody revoked him of his director's license yet?

"The Smurfs 2" might be a painful experience for parents but like I said, it's a little better than the first "Smurfs" movie so that's the only positive thing I have to say. Despite the fact that it made half of what the first "Smurfs" movie grossed at the box office domestically, Columbia Pictures is still moving forward with "The Smurfs 3" coming in 2015. God help us.