“Smurfs” Are Back On The Big Screen For A New Adventure
- Matt Palmer
- Jul 26, 2025
- 4 min read
The Smurfs made their attempt on the big screen in 2001 with their hit movie “The Smurfs” and its 2013 sequel “The Smurfs 2.” Instead of a previously announced “Smurfs 3,” the studio decided to complete an fully animated reboot in 2017, titled “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” which ended up being a small hit, just not as successful as the previous live action releases.
Now, they are back on the big screen in the new family movie simply titled “Smurfs.”
When Papa Smurf is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission to the real world to save him.
With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.
The latest big screen “Smurfs” adventure delivers really great-looking animation, some good music and fun adventure-filled moments. The new “Smurfs” movie also helps build onto the world of the Smurfs.While most of the movie’s marketing made it seem like the main focus would be the Smurfette character. It actually focuses on the new Smurf called No Name Smurf who’s trying to find his “thing” or purpose within Smurf Village. The No Name Smurf plot centers on his quest for self-discovery while accidentally acquiring special powers.
The self-discovery/self-acceptance sub-plot is a very nice apportion of the story and also delivers a nice little message. Throughout No Name Smurf’s journey of self-discovery, Smurfette is always there for him as she knows what it’s like to discover who you truly are since she is an actual creation of Gargamel’s.
“Smurfs” also has a good amount of humor that kids will likely find humorous. Another new character, Sound Effects Smurf, actually steals the show as he always delivers some truly humorous moments when he always uses some sort of special effect for what’s going on in the story. The character’s unique trait of producing the various sound effects also adds a distinctive element to this family movie.
Another stand out character that will also make the kids really laugh is Mama Poot, While this character can be quite humorous, Mama Poots is a protective figure for both the Smurfs and the group of mischievous creatures called Snooter Poots (another new creation for the movie).
While “Smurfs” can be loads of fun for the kids, the one gag that the movie uses quite a bit is using the word “smurf” replacing words that you won’t hear in a kids movie. This gag was actually funny at first, but overusing this gag did get a little annoying by the end of the movie. The little ones will surely enjoy the gag for sure!
Some of the animation style is quite decent, especially when a few of the characters go through different worlds and are styled in claymation, anime and even “8-bit sprites” (the animation used in 8-bit video games).
So, while some of the gags can get a little tiring after a while, the kids will surely enjoy “Smurfs.” Filled with some good music, great adventure-filled moments and lots of fun for the kiddos, the younger audience will have a blast with the new “Smurfs.”
Cast: John Goodman (Papa Smurf); Rihanna (Smurfette); James Corden (No Name); J.P. Karlick (Razamel/Gargamel); Dan Levy (Joel); Amy Sedaris (Jaunty); Natasha Lyonne (Mama Poot); Sandra Oh (Moxie Smurf); Jimmy Kimmel (Tardigrade); Octavia Spencer (Asmodius); Hannah Waddingham (Jezebeth); Alex Winter (Hefty Smurf); Kurt Russell (Ron).
Writer/director: Pam Brady (writer) (Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken; Netflix’s The Bubble); Peyo (based on the characters and works of); Chris Miller (director) (Puss in Boots; Shrek the Third)
Trivia: All the recent Smurf theatrical releases have had Smurfette voiced by a famous singer - Katy Perry voiced the character in “The Smurfs” (2011) and “The Smurfs 2” (2013); Demi Lovato voiced Smurfette in “Smurfs: The Lost Village” (2017). This movie also marks the first animated film that Kurt Russell has provided his voice for since the Disney classic “The Fox and the Hound.”
In February 2022, it was reported that Peyo Company, the owners of the Smurfs brand, had agreed to partnership with Paramount Animation to produce multiple animated Smurfs movies.
MPA: Rated PG for action, language, and some rude humor (runtime 92 minutes)
Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what I have planned on the review front coming up! And here is what I have planned for the Aug. 6 edition: “Fantastic Four: First Steps” (new release); “Fantastic Four” (2015 reboot); “Freaky Friday” (2003; since I’m will be checking out the upcoming sequel in August); “Back to the Future” (40th anniversary); Jumanji (In Memory - Robin Williams).
During release, all Smurfs movies from the 21st century have had Smurfette voiced by a famous singer in The Smurfs (2011) and its sequel The Smurfs 2 (2013), she is voiced by Katy Perry, in Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017), she is voiced by Demi Lovato, and in this movie, she is voiced by Rihanna.
Much like the Smurfs films from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, there are Smurfs created specifically for the film, which in this case applies to Pastoreo Smurf, Motivational Smurf, No Name Smurf, Camouflage Smurf, Worry Smurf, Moxie Smurf, Papa Smurf's brothers Ken and Ron, and the group of female Smurfs known as the International Neighborhood Watch Smurfs, Paris edition.
Kurt Russell's first animated film since The Fox and the Hound (1981) 44 years before. It's also his first animated film to have ending credits in them.
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies originally were announced to do a trilogy of Smurfs films in 2008, which would later be taken over by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, only to instead become a duology due to one of the films getting scrapped in 2015.
As shown in the first trailer, Influencer Smurf would have been a new character introduced in the movie, but he was scrapped in favor of Vanity Smurf.
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