When we last left our intrepid tiny blue friends, they had just . . . oh, why bother explaining the plot of this film's predecessor, 'The Smurfs,' when it's going to be difficult enough to write about this sequel's ridiculous storyline? And, unless one is either under the age of four or in a drug-induced coma, they are not likely to care an iota about it anyway.
With Neil Patrick Harris ('A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,' 'How I Met Your Mother' TV series) sleepwalking through his repeat role of Patrick Winslow and Hank Azaria ('Lovelace') as the evil wizard Gargamel - playing it so far over the top he falls off the other side - adults are most likely to simply tag along with their tots only to forget this one by the time they get home.
Like most sequels, 'The Smurfs 2' does not live up to the original, which in turn was never something worth living up to in the first place. It does live longer, though, dragging on for nearly 105 minutes (two minutes longer than the first go 'round and a death knell to an animated feature like this one).
Here, as directed by Raja Gosnell (who has helmed such classics as 'Home Alone 3,' and 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua'), the Smurfs are happy and healthy back in their quaint village.
Happy, except for the group's only female, Smurfette (voice of singer Katy Perry), who's depressed because she thinks everyone forgot her birthday (get used to it, kid).
Meanwhile, Gargamel — who is now a big-time David Blaine-type illusionist in the world of humans — is hatching a plot wherein he uses his two gray Smurf-like minions, the tomboyish Vexy (voice of Christina Ricci, 'Black Snake Moan') and the idiotic Hackus (voice of J.B. Smoove, 'Hall Pass'), to kidnap Smurfette so he can extract her essence, or something like that.
Unfortunately, once she is missing, Papa Smurf (voice of the late Jonathan Winters, 'The Smurfs,' but I'd rather remember him from 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,' among other better films) along with Grouchy (voice of George Lopez, 'Rio,' and the guy who played a light bulb in 'Shark Boy and Lavagirl'), Clumsy (voice of Anton Yelchin, 'Star Trek Into Darkness') and Vanity (voice of John Oliver, 'The Love Guru'), locate Patrick and his family to help solve the mystery.
Turns out that Pat is an uptight parent entertaining equally snobbish couples at his son's excruciatingly unfunny birthday party sequence concerning - of all things hilarious - a small child with a peanut allergy.
Discovering that Gargamel has a show in Paris, the group — with nondescript tyke Blue (Jacob Tremblay) and gruff stepdad Victor (Brendan Gleeson, 'The Raven') in tow — whisks off to the City of Lights with nary a jump cut. While there, Smurfette, who was evidently created by the bad wizard becomes fast friends with Vexy and even offers to share the secret formula that Papa used to turn her blue — a concoction that will allow Gargamel to somehow rule the world.
Meanwhile, the three incompetent Smurfs try to save the day, while an embarrassed Gleeson (much too good to be involved in an endeavor like this) spends most of the picture flapping around as a poorly-CGIed duck.
It's all about potions and magic and essences and fatherly love, all of which are needed to keep the average person awake during all of this nonsense. So-so effects, little or no pacing, a drag in the middle and totally unnecessary 3D technology highlight the pointlessness of it all.
Be aware that there is also a definite mean streak which runs through the movie (Gargamel is willing to let his creations die and laughingly tortures the captive Smurfs), as well as a complete lack of humor (or anything close to that emotion), despite the fact that Azaria (who voices about a dozen characters on 'The Simpsons' TV show) does his best with what little he is given.
So, like 'Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties,' 'Marmaduke,' 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' and 'Yogi Bear' — films which tried to incorporate CGI with live action — 'The Smurfs 2' comes up woefully short, leaving 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' as the still clear-cut winner of the genre - and that particular production is more than 25 years old.
So why not just buy, rent or record that picture, save a trip to the cinema and call it a weekend. You would certainly be doing yourself - or your children - no favors by seeing 'The Smurfs 2.'

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I'm really puzzled by these reviews. Firstly, we have people saying they hated the first film but this is even worse. Excuse me, but what kind of stupid do you have to be to watch a sequel to a film you hated? Then there's people who complain that the film is for children? But hey, what did you expect? Well, I expected the worst, I never liked the Smurfs and I'm old enough to remember that awful song from the 70s. I've seen the McDonalds toys and I was prepared to hate this. But every Sunday we take our children to see a movie for a pound and this is what was on. I've seen Despicable Me 2, Turbo, Monsters University, Cloudy with Meatballs 2 and the Rise of the Guardians over the last few weeks on the same terms. I enjoyed those in varying degrees, but I wanted to give this one a miss. But it's for the kids, not me, so I went along. And I guess what, I actually enjoyed it.
There's no point me regurgitating the plot, but highlights for me were Christina Ricci giving a bit of Wednesday to Vexy, the naughty sister Smurf, the one-dimensional pantomime baddie (he's behind you!) and the cat, which amused me if no-one else. The plot is not believable, according to some. Yeah, and you sat though Despicable Me 2 and Cloudy with Meatballs 2? The plot is consistent with the rules set for the movie, just go with it. And if your children like it, what's not to like for you?

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There's no point in pulling punches here because, let's face it, these movies are meant as a distraction for kids. The jokes are bad, the acting is cheesy and the story isn't complicated. The whole point of the first film was to be something that will dazzle children with jokes only kids can laugh at and some brightly colored characters dancing across the screen. The formula for this sequel doesn't change that.
The only real difference I saw in this one was that it looked like the writers were trying to add a little more heart to the story by throwing in heavy elements of belonging and family. Smurfette feels isolated because of her lineage and doesn't feel like she belongs with the Smurfs while Patrick's stepfather comes into play and feels he's being pushed away from his stepson as he desperately tries to be a positive and loving influence in his life. I honestly enjoyed this part of the film but hated that it was surrounded with really bad jokes filled with 'blue' gags and using the word 'smurf' so much that the joke lost all its meaning in the first five minutes and acting that is gorged on scenery to the point of indigestion.
Once again, this movie is intended to bring smiles to little kids who still think boogers are the height of cuisine but, at least, the film felt like it was trying to make some improvements and strides to make this a better family film than the last one...also, the special effects are still decent, so it has that going for it.
Hi! My name is Rev. Ron and I love movies! So much so that I write a blog where I review whatever movie I am watching at the time. You can read a more in-depth review of this film (and others) at revronmovies.blogspot.com

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'THE SMURFS 2': One and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Sequel to the 2011 hit kids' film based on the popular comic-book (which was later turned into a popular cartoon series in the 1980s) by Peyo (a Belgian comic-book artist) about little blue people that live in mushrooms. It once again stars Hank Azaria as the evil wizard Gargamel and Neil Patrick Harris as the Smurfs' human friend Patrick. It also features voices by Katy Perry, Jonathan Winters (who the film was dedicated to, due to his recent passing) and many others as Smurfs. The film was once again directed by Raja Gosnell and written by the same team of writers (with Karey Kirkpatrick joining the team). I'd say it's even worse than the first film in quality, especially since one of my favorite actresses (Sofia Vergara) didn't return this time around. This film revolves around Gargamel (Azaria) kidnapping Smurfette (voiced by Perry), the only female Smurf (which he created), and taking her back to Paris with him. He needs Papa Smurf's formula for creating Smurfs (which Smurfette knows) so he can extract the Smurf-essence from them (which gives him his magical powers). The film introduces two bad Smurf-like critters that Gargamel also created. They're called Naughties named Vexy (voiced by Christina Ricci) and Hackus (voice by J. B. Smoove). The film also gives us a lot of Smurfette's back story and introduces us to Patrick's stepfather Victor (Brendan Gleeson) as well. The first 'SMURFS' movie was bad and this one is even worse. The only thing I did like about the original movie was it co-starred Sofia Vergara (like I said) as a domineering antagonist (Patrick's boss). She was great and extremely sexy in it (like always) but the rest of the movie was a waste. Both films are pointless and about as dumbed down as kids' movies get. I did like the cartoon and comic books when I was a kid but I don't know if a quality live action film could really be developed from them. So I guess I can't complain too much. Still this movie, like the first, is a waste of time. Kids might like it though.

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The Smurfs 2 continues with the adventures of the adorable blue creatures called, Smurfs. When Smurfette(Katy Perry) assumes that the rest of the Smurfs have forgotten her birthday, she's very depressed & wanders off alone. She thinks that she's not a true blue Smurf as she was originally a Naughty created by the evil wizard, Gargamel(Hank Azaria). Meanwhile Gargamel hatches an evil plot to kidnap Smurfette & get her to tell the formula to turn two of his Naughties, Vexy(Christina Ricci) & Hackus(J.B Smoove) into real Smurfs. Vexy enters the portal to Smurf village, kidnaps Smurfette & takes her back to Earth. Now,it is up to Papa(Jonathan Winters), Grouchy(George Lopez), Clumsy(Anton Yelchin) & Vanity(John Oliver) to rescue Smurfette from Gargamel before he coerces her to give him the formula. The Smurfs seek the help of their friends, Patrick(Neil Patrick Harris) his wife, Grace(Jayma Mays) & Patrick's step-dad Victor(Brendan Gleeson).
The Smurfs 2 was lots of fun! I can't believe it has such a low rating on IMDb. It's not supposed to be the best film ever. It's just a cute movie about love, friendship, the importance of family & how they will always be by your side. Looking at the morals the film teaches you, it's a perfect weekend outing with your family & a perfect popcorn movie for everyone who wants to watch it alone. The fusion between live-action & animation is enchanting. The 3D is flawless. The entire movie is filled with eye popping 3D effects. The best scene in the film for me is when, Smurfette & the Naughties are flying around Paris. Mind blowing visual effects & animation. Hank Azaria is the standout performer as the bumbling wizard, Gargamel. Neil Patrick Harris is great as Patrick. Jayma Mays is impressive as Grace. Brendan Gleeson is hilarious as Victor. Katy Perry, Christina Ricci, Jonathan Winters, Anton Yelchin, George Lopez, John Oliver & J.B Smoove are perfect as Smurfette, Vexy, Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, Vanity & Hackus respectively. The gags are a little childish but, it is a comedy for kids, not adults. All in all, The Smurfs 2 is loads of fun & is worth a watch.

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Having already seen Despicable me 2 And Monsters University, these summer hols, I took my two kids to see Smurfs 2. I have to say, despite any toffee nosed film critics who have panned this film, we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was equally good, if not better than the two previously mentioned films. The animation, especially the interaction between real life and CGI was impressive. It was funny, fast-moving, and at times emotional. Gargamel's performance was wonderful. Some of the visual effects, such as the 'Roue de Paris' coming of it's axle and rolling through the streets of Paris were amazing. Ignore the film critics, go there with your kids, and try and watch it through the eyes of a child and enjoy. Great in 3D. We thought it was better than the previous Smurfs movie.

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The Smurfs 2 Zero Stars I Remember a long time ago when I Saw the smurfs cartoon, it was funny, charming, amazingly and whimsical, it had tiny blue creatures who battle gargamel and much more, but sadly the smurfs movie was a disaster and it made a big amount of movie at the box office and this one could be even worse, this is one of the most pathetic sequels ever made and one of the worst movies of the year so far, what a joke. this takes place 2 years after the events of the first film when the smurfs time traveled to new york, when in the case smurfette gets kidnapped by the naughties (one of the them played by a truly wasted Christina ricci in a what is she doing in the film like this) and the smurfs go to Paris to save her from gargamel and the naughties, Neil Patrick Harris is wasted yet again as the person who is trying to help the smurfs along with his wife, gargmel played by an embarrassed Hank Azaria of the simpsons fame who is completely lost.
The CGI is impressive but so what?, the screenplay is simply a waste of absolute time, the story goes nowhere, the writing is pathetic and a editing is a complete disaster, sadly this is Jonathan winters last film and a pathetic one if that. this is a truly dreadful film that is even worse then the first, MUCH worse
Wait for avatar sequels in 2016 if that.

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So the first Smurfs movie was better. But this one has more than it's fair share of moments too. Is it predictable? Yes! But does it have a coherent theme running through it concerning parent hood and moral message that might be a bit hammered into our heads? Yes, though it's still acceptable and doesn't overdo it.
The movie is aimed at kids and while Pixar has shown us you can do that without forgetting about the parents/adults, this doesn't mean every animated movie has to be like that. There can and should be movies like Smurfs too. The success was there, but the rating suggest that many people might have watched under duress or being forced to. It's unfortunate if you couldn't enjoy some nice little family entertainment. I'm a cynic too, but I could relax with this. It's really not that bad

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While I have seen a fair number of kids movies over my time (having three children), I, like one of the other reviewers, found the movie boring and did not enjoy. However, my 8 year old really enjoyed it and said we have to buy that movie. I had not seen the prequel to this movie, but it would probably not have improved my review. I did not think the actors were great. Having seen Brendan Gleeson in different roles, it was unusual to see him playing this character and he seemed way out of place. The movie had some touching scenes that step-parents and step children will appreciate. I thought some of the effects were over the top but I guess the movie is aimed mostly to entertain children.

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How can you not like Smurfs, whose sole reason for existence is to live a peaceful life full of fun, dancing, singing and love? Not to mention that they live in cool mushroom houses in the forest and all wear the same outfit. If you've wondered what those little blue creatures have been doing since the first film, you can rest easy, as life in the Smurf village has been Smurftastic. I'm sure the only reason we have a sequel is because the first movie made almost $560 million. With this outing, you can expect the same visual pleasantries, but beyond a couple of lines of dialogue that garner a chuckle, I don't see unimaginatively-titled 'The Smurfs 2′ playing to anyone over the age of five.
As I said, life is going very well in the Smurf village as everyone prepares a giant surprise celebration for Smurfette's birthday. However, Smurfette herself (Katy Perry) thinks that the other Smurfs have forgotten her special day. As she questions her own creation, she begins to think that she doesn't belong with the Smurfs, but rather with her creator, the evil and dim-witted Gargamel (Hank Azaria).
Meanwhile, Gargamel now lives in Paris with his cat Azrael, and is a beloved magician in the city, playing to sold-out crowds every night. Little does anyone know that he has a sinister plan to kidnap all the Smurfs to steal their essence, which will make him more powerful so that he can rule the world. To do this, Gargamel creates two other Smurf-like creatures called Naughties. One is Vexy (Christina Ricci), a mix between a goth girl and a hipster, and the other is Hackus (J.B. Smoove), a red- haired Irish Smurf who could double as a beach bum. The two Naughties travel to Smurf village, capture Smurfette and bring her to the real world. Soon afterwards, Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters) follows after them with Grouchy (George Lopez), Clumsy (Anton Yelchin) and Vanity (John Oliver) to save Smurfette. As you'd imagine, this team of Smurfs ends up enlisting the help of their Earth friends Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) once again. But this time around, Patrick's stepdad Victor (Brendan Gleeson) is there to help as well.
One of the only decent things to come out of this sequel is Gleeson, who seems to give it his all in a comedic role, whereas the other actors seem bored to be there and are underused, with the exception of Azaria's kooky sorcerer. It's a shame, as Neil Patrick Harris is a multi-talented guy who can sing, dance and has great comedic timing, but here, he seems to be a robot. Oliver's voice for Vanity gets the most laughs, even if his jokes are told over and over again throughout the movie, which is a common problem amongst all the characters this time around. Ricci and Perry do solid jobs, but J.B. Smoove playing an Irish Smurf killed me. This was Jonathan Winters' last film, and he adds a warm and nostalgic feeling with his charming voice for Papa Smurf.
The look of the film is very pleasing with bright colors and tons of things happening on every part of the screen. The camera flies through building structures, makes a slapstick candy store scene fun, and swoops around a giant runaway Ferris wheel in Paris. That being said, the visuals are almost undone by the horrible music selections, which might only excite an 11-year-old girl. The 3D is quite terrible too. The backgrounds in the movie that were supposed to add depth don't, and instead come across very blurry and flat, as well as produce a double image.
Even if you enjoy the Smurfs, this sequel might leave a sour taste in your mouth.

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Gargamel (Hank Azaria) is now a world famous magician. He has created two darker version of Smurfs called Naughties named Vexy and Hackus. Meanwhile Smurfette has doubts about her personality since she was originally created by Gargamel. Papa Smurf had changed her from a Naughtie to a Smurf with a secret spell. Gargamel needs that spell to create real Smurfs to harness the powerful Smurf essence. Gargamel sends Vexy to kidnap Smurfette. Papa Smurf and others return to the real world to rescue Smurfette with the help of Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris), Grace (Jayma Mays) and Victor (Brendan Gleeson).
It's marginally better than the first movie. I like that evil Gargamel is driving the story. Hank Azaria is a good Gargamel. I still wouldn't recommend this for anybody other than little kids. Also I'm not sure why Brendan Gleeson is in this. I would have thought they would add a broad comedian for comic relief instead and then they turn him into a duck. I still wish the Smurfs stay in the forest. They could make it a magical forest. The real world somehow diminishes them not just because of their size.

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The success of the first live animation Smurfs film obviously meant a sequel in the works to cash in. This was playing over and over and my kids grooved on its repeated viewings. Sufficed to say, I was actually off today and tuned in and out to it over the four or so times it was on.
Smurfette was once a creation of Gargamel's (Hank Azaria, having such a good time), and thanks to Papa Smurf (and his convenient magic), she was rescued from a life of pure evil. Turned blue and provided a new lease on life, Smurfette insulated herself within the Smurf society. Of course, the two films felt the need to transplant the Smurfs into the alternate world of us humans, and so they met Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mayes in The Big City. At first, the Smurfs caused much aggravation, annoyance, and trouble, but soon were welcomed and loved by their human friends. In the sequel, Harris and Mayes, married and celebrating a birthday with their son, named Blue (after their Smurf friends), join forces with Papa Smurf and his 'B-Team' (his typical team of Brainy and Hefty got left behind when a choking incident caused created 'travel crystals' to fall into the mouths of others) to rescue Gargamel-captured Smurfette.
Equipped with a specially made sword by Gargamel in an attempt to seize her affections, and often told of how she is his daughter, Smurfette finds herself under much pressure to determine where she belongs…with him or the Smurfs. Who is her true family? Gargamel, of course, desires the magic spell used by Papa to turn her blue in a grand diabolical plan to…wait for it…take over the planet and have us grovel to him.
With the likes of the late Jonathan Winters (that marvelous voice and face produced a lot of laughs, but I remember him best in the Twilight Zone episode, opposite Jack Klugman, in A Game of Pool), Katy Perry, Christina Ricci, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin, Fred Armisen and Jeff Foxworthy as the voices of the Smurfs, and use of our world (most of the setting is Paris) as a backdrop for them (the Smurf village is also given some significant screen time as the Smurfs are planning Smurfette's birthday party), there's prime entertainment value for…mostly kids, and a few adults. Watching it, I can't really say this was aimed for too much of an adult audience, but is a perfectly fine family film. It even provides Brendan Gleeson a rare comedic role as Harris' stepdad; Gleeson has one of those fun-loving, energetic characters that Harris is embarrassed by because of his jovial behavior and scenery chewing. Eventually Gleeson is involved in the Smurfette rescue, turned into a duck (!) at one point by Gargamel. Gargamel's shtick involves popular magic shows in theatrical settings to much fanfare, but he has that evil itch to cause very bad things. Gargamel creates two new 'anti-Smurfs' (Ricci and JB Smooth) to help him 'indoctrinate' Smurfette, and achieve his masterplan. But those Smurfs soon kindle a friendship with Smurfette which throws a monkey wrench in Gargamel's plans. As much as computer-generated Smurfs might have me longing to watch the old cartoon (not *that* much but close), this is the way it is so I'm not about to go on a belly-aching old fart rant about taking beloved characters that were popular when I was a kid and cosmetically re-envisioning them for today's audience. It is what it is. Azaria, fully immersed in his evil wizard role with rat-like teeth, doesn't have a subtle bone in his portrayal.

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I'm not saying the first Smurfs movie was cinematic genius, but it was at least tolerable. Smurfs 2, for an adult, is agonizingly boring. My kids (ages 9 and 5) enjoyed it, so I guess it's okay for younger children. But honestly, I've seen many kids' movies in the past, and there's usually at least some element of humor in there that adults can appreciate and enjoy too.
That is not the case here. The plot feels very drawn out and contrived. The humor revolves largely on sight gags and jokes of the farting, implied nakedness, or 'oh look, I'm falling and crashing into something' variety. While that was done to good effect in Shrek, it was embarrassingly bad here. They gave Azrael the cat a bigger role in this one, but it came across as irritating for the most part
All in all, an okay movie for younger kids, but adults, be prepared to be bored out of your mind by it!

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Review: Not only was this movie silly and boring, it also put me off of the little blue people which I grew to love as a child. The director made this film just for kids in mind, without a thought about the adults that have to sit through it with there little ones. I should have known what to expect after seeing the first one, but I was hoping that there would have been something for us people without kids. The CGI was done well, but the storyline was terrible and extremely unrealistic. Maybe they shouldn't use real people next time and just keep it in Smurf la la land!
Round-Up: It was weird seeing Brendan Gleeson making a fool of himself throughout the movie, but I'm sure that it won't hurt his career. Neil Patrick Harris is acting the same as he did in the first one so there wasn't that much surprise with his contribution. The new Smurfs that are in this film weren't bad and Gargarmel is up to his usual tricks, trying to capture the Smurfs, but I ended up falling asleep after a while. It's not a bad movie to put on if you want to keep the kids quiet, and judging by the money that it made, I'm sure that your going to see a third one in this franchise, but I'm hoping that they will give it to a different director.
Budget: $105million (On What!) Worldwide Gross: $348million
I recommend this movie to kids who are into the Smurfs and silly comedies with mini Avatars. 2/10

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When you will watch the fun generated by The Smurfs , you will be bounded by same amount of expectations from The Smurfs 2. Unfortunately , it is bit disappointing in terms of fun and adventure.
Smurfette is kidnapped by the evil-spirited Gargamel to find the secret spell through which he will turn the Naughties into the real smurfs. The Smurfs must travel to human world to rescue her before the secret spell is divulged out.
From the same director Raja Gosnell , The Smurfs 2 loses the steam it generated from the first part and the curiosity to watch it further will die down. The visual effects are breath-taking as it is a magical bound film. The direction is weak. Screenplay could not hold your attention. Cinematography is vibrant. Art direction is good. Background score gels well with the mood of the film. It is Hank Azaria who stands out as the selfish and cunning magician. He is superb to watch and will tickle your funny bone along with his hilarious moments with his talking cat.
Overall , I was slightly disappointed with the sequel. If you are looking to make your kid happy, The Smurfs 2 might be the right appetizer. Average 2.5/5
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The Smurfs 2
With only one female in their species it's surprising that the Smurfs aren't extinct.
Magically, the 3-apple-tall genus has thrived in an all-male society - until now.
With his supply of Smurf essence depleting, Gargamel (Hank Azaria) sends his latest creations the Naughties (Christina Ricci, J. B. Smoove) to Smurf village to kidnap Smurfette (Katy Perry).
With her hostage, Gargamel hopes to gain Papa's (Jonathan Winters) Smurf-making potion so he'll never run out of magical essence.
To save Smurfette and stop Gargamel's pending output, a group of misfit Smurfs (Alan Cumming, Anton Yelchin, George Lopez, John Oliver) must travel to Paris and get help from an old friend (Neil Patrick Harris) to do so.
Puerile even for the pre-school set, Smurfs 2 plods its way through a predictable predicament, limp one-liners, and maddening Smurf-centric dialogue.
Incidentally, with their blue hue maybe the Smurfs are really the corpses of asphyxiated infants. Red Light
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I went to the cinema to watch the first one in 3D with the kids and I have to admit I was putting a brave face on and trying to concentrate on enjoying the blue Slush Puppy drink that only cinemas seem to sell.
I settled the kids into their seats and and put on my 3D glasses and hoped it would hide the fact from my partner that I was asleep, as long as I didn't snore again! I have to say (still talking about the first one here) that I was pretty impressed from the outset. The 3D has come a hell of a long way from the day's of Jaws when I last used it and the storyline was strong and never boring.
Smurfs 2 I thought was going to be one of those, 'should have never made a sequel' films after seeing mocking video's on You Tube with children singing about how much they hated it! Personally I couldn't see that it could be better than the first film but I was very wrong. The 3D was stunning all the way through and at one point I forgot that I wasn't actually on the set! Again the storyline was strong, never dulled off and I found it one of few films that I could not pop to the toilet during or go for a smoke, there was no point where I thought I might not miss anything.
The true credit though goes to Gargamel and his cat. There were point's that had me laughing out loud which as an adult would ordinarily be embarrassing at a kids film but then I noticed all the adults were laughing out loud too.
And I'm sorry, if you don't have slightly moist eye's at the end then you have no soul!

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Oh man this movie sucked! It made my son laugh twice that's it but as long as he liked it well then it's OK. That's why I rate it 2 stars for 2 laughs. All the kids movies I've taken my son to see in the past have all been funny, but this one..well this one made me fall asleep Zzzzz. I didn't even see the first part of the Smurfs & now I really don't want to. I can't believe George Lopez was in this. Ay George. As for Doogie Howser well what can u expect. Even the cat had more humor. The role of Gargamale was dry. The cartoon character was more scarier. What was the writer thinking? I still love the cartoon though! If I wanna go back to my childhood memories I can always go on you-tube.

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It pains me greatly to tell my dear readers the following, but 'The Smurfs 2' does not reach the cinematic heights reached by the first film in this storied franchise (and I'm quite certain the other attendees of the exclusive screening felt the same).
In this outing, critical darling Raja Gosnell has consciously moved away from the blend of South Korean revenge saga and Bollywood sentimentality, which so strongly epitomized 'The Smurfs.' Here we are presented with a deeply symbolic and nonlinear narrative with little regard for pacing (think European artistry). Thematically, this film is more akin to Terrence Malick's 'Days of Heaven' than to Gosnell's own 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua.' To its detriment, of course.
Some of my disappointment is perhaps due to the surprise at the change of direction Gosnell has taken with our favorite little blue creatures. I feel critics will too easily dismiss the film as they were expecting something different, but unlike most film critics working today, I can put my expectations aside and judge the film objectively.
Fans of the first will be glad to hear that acting powerhouse Katy Perry makes a return to voice Smurfette. She is simply sensational and steals scene after scene. Neil Patrick Harris gives a rather subtle performance and it's perhaps a bit too quiet and nuanced. There are new additions to this all-star cast, including the wildly inconsistent and unstable Brendan Gleeson. On his day, Gleeson makes for a phenomenal extra, but he is given too big a role. His performance is entirely too physical and he simply does not possess the acting talent to carry scenes emotionally.
The plot is marginally improved over the first, as the kidnapping of Smurfette adds a dash of pathos that was sorely lacking in the first tale. The stakes are higher than ever and despite some blunders and missteps along the way, 'The Smurfs 2' ultimately delivers. While many critics will undoubtedly be off-put by the abstract and heavily metaphorical direction the sequel has taken, it is clear that Gosnell has coherent and meaningful creative goals here that he successfully meets.
Additionally, the film is meticulously shot by Phil Meheux and gorgeously scored by Heitor Pereira — your eyes and ears are guaranteed to get off sexually. I sure did, and the family next to me certainly seemed to enjoy themselves as well.

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These 'The Smurfs' movies seem to be nothing more than one of those childish animated, live-action hybrid adaptations of classic cartoons/comics that are obviously made for cash-in and distraction for little(r) audiences, but this sequel kind of hooked me. There is something behind the story that might help this being a little more than another juvenile family fare. We're not expecting it to become deeper or darker, but the film would've think that kids need to earn better lessons or genuine heart in their entertainment other than just feeding them with endless slapstick comedy and pop culture references. The Smurfs 2 had some good potential, but the rest stays mediocre.
The existence of the film itself was never promising, it still centers in the real world even though there are better things to explore in their magical world. But there is a sense at the first act that may have an actual story to tell. The plot mostly concerns about Smurfette's true identity, if she really belongs to the Smurfs or go back to her origin as a Naughty. It's not really meant to be complex, but there would've been at least something that could fill the audience's heart. The best parts are when they are talking about its heartfelt themes, and that is a mild benefit for this film. However, the storyline is still kind of the same by throwing away plenty of childish gags. Aside of its family subtext, some subplots give each of the characters their own random situations. I presume they're meant for laughs, but they didn't go anywhere in the end. It's still a mediocre storytelling which outweighs the bigger picture.
Despite of its superficiality, the filmmaking is as energetic as it has always been. The director once again brings the film's cartoonish quirks, and the actors are having fun with their roles which also brings it to life. You can see that in Hank Azaria who seems really enjoying playing the evil wizard, Gargamel. The special effects are as good as it gets. I guess there isn't much else to talk about the technicalities.
There are things in The Smurfs 2 that could have worked, but the filmmakers stick to their usual way of entertaining kids. It's nothing new, but this sequel has a better message compared to the first movie, though how the film delivers it didn't actually help making the whole experience any satisfying or worth telling. In the end, I think children will mostly focus the cute stuff and the characters' random antics than the thematic stuff about family, because at all, those are what this movie is more interested in. Again, The Smurfs 2 doesn't look like it's destined to be a great film, but diminishing the premise that was set up in beginning can be a disappointment.

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First of all, I'd like to say that I went into this movie thinking it was the first one from 2011 as it was declared on the theater's website. As my plan to watch both films chronologically within one or two days was not successful, please note that I have not seen the first film yet. Another thing I'd like to add is that it's always nice to see a sequel just picking the original title and add a '2'. Most of the time when the makers play with numbers or add title additions, the result is nothing to be proud of...
Now, if they had asked me on 31st December 2012 which 2013 film will most likely be a huge flop with the critics, this very well could have been my response. The first was panned and is widely not even regarded as the director's worst effort. And so it happened. However, having watched the cartoon series occasionally in the mornings when I was a child, I don't find the 21st century version of Les Bleus that off-putting. I thought it was a good idea to have Gargamel return (I assume he was the main antagonist in the first part as well) and not sacrifice him for some new spectacular villain. Azaria and cat didn't blow me away, but were certainly one of the pros. That said, I wouldn't mind Hogatha the Witch for the third movie in 2015. This could be a great fun performance.
While I liked the animation and I really don't oppose the idea of mixing smurf world with the non-animated human world, I felt most of the smurfs were rather poorly written. It's hard to put a finger on it, but there was something missing about Papa Smurf despite his expected warmness and there was something extremely off-putting about Smurfette, which, at least for me, had a thoroughly negative impact on pretty much all her scenes and more importantly on the credibility of her inner struggle about where she really belongs. The intro about her 'creation' was done well, but afterward it just didn't work for me.
There's not much to say about those smurfs that did not participate in the travel, but the Schtroumpf (I love that word!) company to Papa was the highlight this time. I thought Grouchy had a couple truly hilarious scenes and Clumsy and Vanity managed to light up the screen occasionally as well. Smurfy's Law? Oh no, you didn't. The two unevolved (okay you could guess that character development right away) Naughties were a nice inclusion and fun to watch, the girl more so than the ginger brute.
While I couldn't enjoy Smurfette's struggle of being lost as much as I wanted to, I felt that the parallel to NPH's character was extremely smart and well implemented highlighting in a moving balcony dialog between the HIMYM star and Papa Smurf. As was the bird allergy dialog scene between NPH and Brendan Gleeson. Wait... did I just say Brendan Gleeson??? That's right. And he's good as always sporting a smooth beard in this one. And that's not the whole story yet. Not at all. He's transforming into poultry. Believe it or not. Take that, werewolf Taylor Lautner. Brendan Gleeson is changing into a friggin' duck. The film's other visual highlight was the Roue de Paris breaking loose and mowing through the streets of Paris.
So go see the movie. It's not among the best of the year, not even among the very best animation movies of 2013, but it's not the damp squib people are making it out to be. And then show your children and grandchildren some of the 80s series episodes when you return home.

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I guess everyone should know that the Smurfs 2 is a animation movie suitable for kids and of course, adults who had grown up with the Smurfs. One good thing about the sequel is perhaps, lesser Smurf song (aka La La Song)-singing.
Gargamel is now a celebrity in the real world, worshiped by people for his magic which requires the blue essences to exist. It is ironic how people are crazy over him despite being insulted. He is serious, in insulting them, and they are really happy being insulted, thinking they are all a joke, which I wonder if this is a reflection of any current issues.
Besides the cute blue creatures and their amusing lines, I guess the only plot worth mentioning will be the father-son relationship between Patrick and his stepfather, Victor Doyle. It was interesting that they added the additional plot to make the whole movie a tad more meaningful. From children's perspectives, the step parents are usually the one who broke up their family and steal away their parent's love. But here, it gave another angle, of how it was all along to protect the child's heart and to cushion the hurt. And when Patrick, the supposedly-parent in the movie is the 'child' made it even more meaningful. This little insert actually made me wonder if I have ever wronged or blame someone who was actually trying to protect me.
For more information, visit: http://tiffanyyong.com/2013/08/05/smurfs-2- movie-review/

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'The Smurfs 2' is an Animation - Comedy movie and the sequel of the movie 'The Smurfs' in which we watch the Smurfs in new trouble as Gargamel abducts Smurfette and they have to do their best in order to take her back. Gargamel abducted Smurfette because he wants to her to tell him the secret spell with which he can transform his newest creations 'The Naughties' into real Smurfs. The Smurfs will team up with their human friends in order to rescue Smurfette before it will be too late.
Since I had already watched the first movie I was expecting from the second to be better something that I thought it wouldn't be so difficult since the first was very bad. Unfortunately for one more time, I was disappointed because believe it or not this movie is even worse than the first one. I didn't like the whole concept of the movie, it was boring and with not any funny moments. The only thing that I liked it was the interpretations of Neil Patrick Harris who played as Patrick Winslow and Brendan Gleeson who played as Victor but in my opinion weren't enough to make this movie more interesting or watchable. Regarding the direction which was made once more by Raja Gosnell was average and worse than the first.
To sum up, 'The Smurfs 2' is a poor movie with not many good or funny scenes, average direction and in comparison with the first movie I have to say that this was even worse. I don't recommend anyone to watch this movie because I believe that you are going to waste your time and I am sure that you won't like it at all.

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Have a good deal of fondness for the original television series, if marginally as a child than an adult. Didn't care for the first feature film from 2011 but didn't find anywhere near as bad as it was made out to be, it had a lot of faults but was semi-watchable.
It's pretty much the same with 'The Smurfs 2', very problematic but semi-watchable. It is hard to say which is better between the two, to me some aspects are done better in one, some are about the same and some are done worse. And contrary to those going blue in the face, defending the film (not bashing at all their right to like it, have no problem with it) and bashing the critics and those who dislike 'The Smurfs 2', it's a family film not a kids film (just because it has animation and has content oriented at younger audiences doesn't mean it's for kids) and there is no law against seeing a sequel to a film one dislikes, it may because of having family members who liked the first and wanted to see the sequel as part of family cinema trips, one may be a Smurf completest and one may be fans of an actor in the film. Why do people have such a problem with opinions and overuse and abuse 'freedom of speech' these days?
Anyway, starting with what was good about 'The Smurfs 2', it's a bright and colourful film to look at and while not outstanding the animation and 3D effects are above average. Once again Hank Azaria and Jonathan Winters are perfect as Gargamel and Papa, Azaria looks as if he's having a whizz of a time (not a subtle performance by all means but in all honesty there is nothing subtle about Gargamel as a character) and Winters is the liveliest Smurf characterisation.
Katy Perry is more consistent and heartfelt, what was done with Smurfette gave more heart than there was in the first film. Christina Ricci echoes fond memories of her show-stealing Wednesday Addams in 'The Addams Family' and 'Addams Family Values'. A few amusing moments here and there and the voice work generally is fine.
On the other hand, the story is basic, daft and predictable, with over-obvious plotting and slapstick and one-liners that are more tired and lacking in maturity than witty or clever. The soundtrack is uninspired at best. Darker elements are included here and they don't really gel and makes the tone feel unfocused.
Characters are not particularly well developed, the closest character to being developed and done successfully is Smurfette. The editing could have tighter and more fluid, while Neil Patrick Harris doesn't look as engaged in his more banally written than before role. Brendan Gleeson does his best in an atypical at this point role but doesn't look particularly comfortable.
In conclusion, not particularly good but semi-watchable. 4/10 Bethany Cox

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Although I maybe 18 years old, I was very keen to go see this movie for my love of children's movies, such as Despicable Me and Planes. However, after just 30 minutes, which honestly felt like over an hour, I was completely bored and contemplated walking out. I had paid 16$ and so I at least wanted to see if it got any better...it didn't. Bored from the get go, this movie drags out at a mighty 105 minutes long and never seem's to end! disappointed at the final product. Terrible voice acting, terrible plot and just generally unappealing to all ages. Just saw that a third movie is already in production for a 2015 release, I sigh and have no real hope it'll be any better than it's 2 predecessors.

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