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Toronto Sun
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
REVIEW: 'Smurfs' get surreal, which might be lost on the kids
Published Jul 19, 2025 • 4 minute read No Name (James Corden) and Smurfette (Rihanna) in "Smurfs." Photo by Paramount Animation / Paramount Animation Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The biggest surprise about the new 'Smurfs' movie was the smattering of applause that bubbled forth in the darkness of a recent, kid-friendly preview screening as the credits began to roll. But the animated film – a complicated portal-hopping adventure set in the (groan) multiverse that also incorporates a smattering of live action, mostly scenery and no actors – does have its moments. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account For instance, I briefly smiled when the titular blue 'rat-monkeys,' as the film's bad guy calls these troll-like imps, dimension-hop from one world to the next in an effort to save all that is good from the evil twin wizards Gargamel and Razamel (voice of JP Karliak). Each dimension is rendered, cleverly, in a distinct style of animation: stop-motion clay, a child's crayon drawing, 1970s-era 8-bit video graphics, subtitled Japanese anime and, for reasons I don't fully understand, one surreal undersea vignette featuring a talking tardigrade – a teensy creature that looks like a bug in a fat suit – voiced by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The surprise is not that anyone liked the film. There's no accounting for taste, especially when it comes to offbeat fare like the Smurfs, an intellectual property that has it roots in Belgium, where, in 1958, comic artist Pierre Culliford, working under the pseudonym Peyo, created them as Les Schtroumpfs, but that the robust clapping seems to have come almost entirely from grown-ups. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. During the movie, their young charges appeared to fidget and shift impatiently, greeting their parents' ovation by sitting on their hands or, more likely, using them to scratch their heads in confusion. The reaction from the children in the crowd seemed to echo the closing words of Rihanna, who as the character Smurfette, articulates what I imagine more than a few in the theatre may have been thinking: 'Don't crunch our brains so much!' The script by Pam Brady (a 'South Park' producer and writer of the R-rated films 'South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut' and 'Team America: World Police') is all over the map, sometimes quite literally. Director Chris Miller ('Puss in Boots') opens the action amid the mushroom-shaped houses of Smurf Village before switching to Paris – then the Australian Outback, Munich and points beyond. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It begins by presenting a bit of lore that is easily the most unsettling thing about Smurfdom: the fact that Smurfette, the lone female among a host of males, was created from clay by the evil wizards specifically to lure the Smurfs into their clutches. More tedious scene-setting follows. Smurfette explains that all Smurfs, like Snow White's dwarfs, are named for character attributes: Hefty, Lazy, Handy, Grouchy, etc. All Smurfs, that is, except Smurfette – she's just a girl, it's implied, isn't that enough? – and one called No Name (James Corden), who hasn't yet found his thing, although he aspires to become a practitioner of the magic arts. No Name's search for identity is really what propels this overly busy story forward, in an otherwise perfunctory plot about good vs. evil that gets underway after Smurf patriarch Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is kidnapped by the wizards' factotum, Joel (Dan Levy). This precipitates a delegation of Smurfs to go on a quest, seeking help from someone named Ken – whoever and wherever he may be – as Papa urged them to do just before he got sucked into a black hole-like vortex in the sky. Other portals include the horn of a gramophone. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Yes, the story is hard to follow, and not just for youngsters. (I would urge you not to try.) It involves appearances by a Parisian neighbourhood watch group run by – well whaddya know? – a second female Smurf, called Moxie (Sandra Oh); a hairball-looking thing with the flatulent-sounding moniker of Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne); and a magical talking book who goes by Jaunty (Amy Sedaris). Each of these characters has more or less zilch to do with the predictable message of the story, which is, as spelled out by Smurfette to No Name: 'You've got a lot more magic in you than you think. You've just got to let it out.' The more interesting question is 'Who is 'Smurfs' actually playing to?' On the one hand, its predictable reliance on naughty wordplay, inspired by the seemingly limitless meanings of the words 'smurf' and 'smurfy' (e.g., 'I think I smurfed my pants') would seem to suggest grade school. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On the other hand, the movie really leans into the self-referential absurdism. After a scene featuring No Name riding in the pouch of a bouncing CGI mama kangaroo as Smurfette sings to him, 'Don't ever give up,' No Name breaks the fourth wall by saying out loud what the rest of us are thinking: 'That part with the kangaroo was a little weird.' True, but never quite weird enough. 'Smurfs' may be all over the multiverse, but it doesn't land anywhere worth writing home about. – – – Two stars. Rated PG. At theatres. Contains action, coarse language and some rude humour. 89 minutes. Rating guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. MMA World Toronto & GTA Celebrity Tennis
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Splatter ‘Smurfs' With Negative Reviews
Scene from "Smurfs." Smurfs — a new animated adventure starring the voices of Rihanna, John Goodman and James Corden — is being met with harsh reviews from Rotten Tomatoes critics. Rated PG, Smurfs opens in theaters nationwide on Friday. The official summary for the film reads, 'When Papa Smurf (Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe. In addition to Rihanna and Goodman, Smurfs also stars the voices of Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, James Corden, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Marshmello and Kurt Russell. As of this publication, Smurfs has earned a 20% 'rotten' rating on RT based on 54 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, 'Antic and zany without being particularly fun, this incarnation of Smurfs just isn't the smurfest tool in the shed.' RT's Popcornmeter score from verified user ratings are still pending. What Do Individual Critics Have To Say About 'Smurfs'? Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood Daily is among the top critics on RT who gives Smurfs a 'rotten' review, writing in his review summary, 'Paramount Animation brings it to what life there is, but it is certainly a disappointment in light of the fantastic and smart animated reboot the studio did with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a couple of years ago.' Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter also gives Smurfs a 'rotten' rating on RT, writing, 'It's directed by Chris Miller, who also voices Grouchy Smurf. Watching the movie makes it easy to understand why he chose that character.' Also unimpressed with the movie is Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent (UK), who writes in her review summary, 'This Smurfs might just be the worst of the lot, because it's simultaneously derivative and so crammed with new Smurfs lore that it may make you yearn for the comparatively humble hijinks of Marvel's multiverse.' Alison Willmore of New York Magazine/Vulture also gives the film a 'rotten' review on RT, writing, 'Smurfs rushes toward a finale so generic it could have been lifted from a variety of blockbusters over recent years.' Amid the smattering of bad reviews, Glenn Kenny of the New York Times gives Smurfs a 'fresh' review on RT, writing, 'It's refreshing to see children's animation makers use surrealism, instead of winking pop-culture references, to charm adults.' Nell Minnow of also gives Smurfs a 'fresh' review on RT, writing, 'There is plenty to satisfy the long-time fans, including the usual cuddly themes and replacement of various words with 'Smurf.'' Smurfs opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
Japan Today
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
'Smurfs' has Rihanna but not much else
This image released by Paramount Animation shows No Name, voiced by James Corden, left, and Smurfette, voiced by Rihanna in a scene from "Smurfs." (Paramount Animation via AP) movie review By JAKE COYLE Justin Timberlake had 'Trolls.' Rihanna has 'Smurfs.' Now, we patiently await a 'Gummi Bears' with the Biebs. But first we have 'Smurfs,' which, like 'Trolls,' gets as much mileage as it can from its pop singer-voice actor. Rihanna voices Smurfette and supplies a new song, giving a half-hearted injection of star power to an otherwise uninspired, modestly scaled, kiddo-friendly cartoon feature. 'Smurfs,' directed by Chris Miller ( 'Puss in Boots,' 'Shrek the Third'), cribs heavily from the 'Trolls' playbook. Both feature brightly colored little forest creatures that like a good tune. In the opening of 'Smurfs,' Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is DJing for a dancing Smurf Village. As the many Smurfs gyrate next to mushroom houses, you might find yourself wondering how we got here. And what, exactly, is a Smurf, anyway? It's been nearly 70 years since Belgian comic artist Peyo created 'Les Schtroumpfs,' though most of those still familiar with the little blue fellas remember them from the 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The Smurfs have never really transcended their Saturday morning cartoon origins. Neither a pair of live-action hybrid movies in the early 2010s or a 2017 animated release have done much more than keep us vaguely aware of what a Phrygian cap is. And 'Smurfs' is unlikely to change that. The best thing that can be said for the latest attempt to reboot the blue Belgian beings is that it maintains the light feel of a morning cartoon. Even with a brief SpongeBob SquarePants short running ahead of it, 'Smurfs' — seemingly designed to be the least ambitious of all possible parent-child outings — passes in about 90 minutes. The pressing issue in Miller's film is that one Smurf, No Name Smurf (James Corden), lacks a defining feature. There are so many other labels already taken that all that's left for him are Clog Making Smurf and Shark Taming Smurf — and neither of those is promising, either. When No Name Smurf suddenly grows magical powers, he gets a boost in confidence but inadvertently sets off a dangerous chain reaction. The burst of magic reveals the location of Smurf Village and a long-hidden magical book that, if reunited with three others, confers world domination. (Fun fact: This is also what happens if you reunify all first editions of James Joyce's 'Ulysses.') The outburst brings the attention of the evil wizard Razamel, brother of Gargamel. (Both are excellently voiced by JP Karliak.) And the Smurfs are cast into a chase through dimensions to rescue the kidnapped Papa Smurf and prevent Razamel from seizing the fourth book. The trip takes them through Paris, Munich, Australia and, briefly, Claymation. The zaniness is often forced. There are also Koosh ball-like creatures named Snooter Poots with a leader named Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne). And if you were ever hoping to hear Rihanna sing, as a Smurf, from the seat of a kangaroo pouch, your movie has finally arrived. But any expectations of something more quickly dissipate, despite the fact that 'Smurfs' was scripted by Pam Brady, the screenwriter of 'Hot Rod' and co-writer of 'Team America: World Police.' Most of the attempts at adult-winking gags are hackneyed jokes about Zoom, podcasting, spam filters and LinkedIn. You can almost feel IP-rights pressures animating the entire enterprise. See, there are other Smurf names out there. What about Corporate Mandate Smurf? 'Smurfs,' a Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for action, language and some rude humor. Running time: 92 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rihanna thrilled to see Smurfs movie being 'birthed'
Rihanna is thrilled that Smurfs is "finally being birthed". The 37-year-old star voices the part of Smurfette in the new animated movie, and Rihanna is delighted that her kids can now finally enjoy the movie. The chart-topping singer - who has RZA, three, and Riot, 23 months, with A$AP Rocky - told Extra: "We get to watch the movie together for the first time. I get to watch it in its full completion. So, that should be interesting. "Everybody gets to watch it on the 18th. So, we're really going for it now. It's finally being birthed." Rihanna - who stars in the new movie alongside the likes of James Corden, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Alex Winter, and Hannah Waddingham - admitted that the film's premiere felt "so far away" when the project began. She said: "We've been working on it for so long. So, like, a few years now, actually. And it's happening … You know, you start working on something and 2025 feels so far away and then we're here." Despite this, Rihanna's sons weren't aware of her involvement with the movie. However, the singer - who has largely put her music career on hold in recent years, in order to focus on other ventures - was looking forward to seeing the reaction of her boys. Asked if they knew that she was playing Smurfette, Rihanna replied: "The boys know nothing, they're being introduced to Smurf Village right now, the blue carpet, and next is going to be me watching their reaction when they realise my voice is coming out of the screen. I can't wait for that one." Rihanna was a Smurfs fan during her younger years, and Ramsey Naito, the president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, thinks she's perfectly suited to the role of Smurfette. Ramsey recently told Variety: "When we first met with her, we learned that the Smurfs was her favourite show growing up, and from that moment, everything just clicked. "It felt completely natural to reimagine the Smurfs for today's audience with Rihanna as Smurfette because her genuine love for the franchise made her the perfect fit." Rihanna's "passion" for the Smurfs franchise actually shone through during the production process. The Paramount boss also observed that the film's "secret ingredient is love". Ramsey said: "I think when you're refreshing a beloved franchise like The Smurfs, the secret ingredient is love. And that love must come from people who truly care about the characters and their story. "Rihanna brought that passion, and it shines through in every part of the film."
Boston Globe
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Rihanna finds ‘Smurfs' in a hopeless place
So I was quite worried when I learned that 'Smurfs' not only sends its heroes to real-world Paris, it has Rihanna playing Smurfette and John Goodman co-starring as Papa Smurf. 'It's deja Smurf all over again!' I muttered. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Papa Smurf (John Goodman). Paramount Animation Advertisement That was before I read that the script was by 'South Park' veteran and 'Team America: World Police' co-writer, Pam Brady, and directed by Chris Miller, who directed the 'Shrek' spin-off, 'Puss in Boots.' (Chris Miller did not direct 'The Lego Movie' or '21 Jump Street.'—that's Christopher Miller.) 'Perhaps Brady will bring some irreverence to this movie,' I thought. Plus, I liked 'Puss in Boots' well enough to give its director the benefit of the doubt. I was cautiously optimistic as I entered the theater. When the credits rolled on this animated bore, I felt like a Smurfing fool for getting my hopes up. I wanted to kick my own Smurf. Advertisement Your kids will probably love this movie, which means you'll be watching it often. Excuse me while I giggle with unSmurflike malice. To its credit, 'Smurfs' does at least try to tell a coherent story. Papa Smurf (Goodman) creates Smurf Village as a way to hide one of the four magic books that can be used to bring either good or evil into the universe. He populates the mushroom houses with the male Smurfs you're familiar with, such as Vanity Smurf (Maya Erskine) and Worry Smurf (Billie Lourd). If you happen to be unfamiliar, don't worry. There's a disco number at the beginning of the film that introduces all 3 gazillion Smurfs. Rih—I mean, Smurfette is by far the most popular Smurf in the village. I'm glad the film acknowledged her origin story as a creation of the evil, Smurf-hating wizard, Gargamel (JP Karliak), who designed her to lure the Smurfs to him. It's unfortunate that they left out the part where she originally looked like a blue Olive Oyl before Papa Smurf gave her the Mamie Van Doren treatment. No Name (James Corden) and Smurfette (Rihanna) in "Smurfs." Paramount Animation Believe it or Smurf, Smurfette isn't the main character in this movie. That role belongs to No Name Smurf (James Corden), the only Smurf in the village who doesn't have a defining characteristic. After trying over 10,000 jobs, including wooden clog making, No Name is having a major identity crisis. While Smurfette gets to sing one of several songs in the film (a song co-written by Rihanna, no less), it's No Name who gets the big 'I Want' number. His wish for a vocation is granted, but not without severe repercussions. Advertisement Meanwhile, Gargamel's younger brother, Razamel (also voiced by Karliak) is in cahoots with three other evil wizards to secure the book Papa Smurf's been hiding for 100 years. Razamel sounds like a cream you'd use to cure the Smurf on your Smurf, proving that those poorly named wizards had some mean parents. Joel (Daniel Levy) and Razamel (JP Karliak) in "Smurfs." Paramount Animation Because of an accidental use of magic in the normally magic-free Smurf Village, Razamel is able to use a portal to snatch the Smurfs, including Papa and his red-headed brother, Ken (Nick Offerman). It's up to Smurfette, No Name, and a few others to save the day. Along the way, they meet some scary looking creatures led by Mama Poot (voiced by Natasha Lyonne at her raspiest), who help them out. There are so many missed opportunities in 'Smurfs' that I wanted to pull out all my Smurf. Different animation styles are used, but they never seamlessly cohere. The cast is made up of a murderer's row of great voices like Sandra Oh, 'Schitt's Creek' alum Dan Levy, Octavia Spencer, and William S. Preston, Esq. himself, Alex Winter. Hefty Smurf (Alex Winter), Vanity Smurf (Maya Erskine), Worry Smurf (Billie Lourd), Ken (Nick Offerman), Smurfette (Rihanna), No Name (James Corden), and Brainy Smurf (Xolo Mariduena) in "Smurfs." Paramount Animation The biggest Smurfing deal is that they got Kurt Russell to play Papa Smurf's brother, Ron. His blonde hair is so long and luxurious that it makes Smurfette look like Kojak. Having Russell, Offerman, and Goodman play brothers is casting manna from Heaven, yet this movie doesn't do anything remotely Smurfing interesting with them. Eventually, No Name finds his true calling. It's no surprise that it's film criticism. That's right, No Name Smurf grew up to be me. If you believe that, I've got a Smurf in Brooklyn to sell you. Just be aware that my fake ending is better than the one you'll get in 'Smurfs.' As the fella once said, 'ain't that a kick in the Smurf?' Advertisement ★1/2 SMURFS Directed by Chris Miller. Written by Pam Brady. Starring Rihanna, John Goodman, James Corden, JP Karliak, Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh, Dan Levy, Octavia Spencer, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd. At AMC Boston Common, Landmark Kendall Square, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Causeway, suburbs. 92 min. PG (some necessary bleeps by Sound Effects Smurf) Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
