After remaining on Earth at the end of the previous film, the wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) rises to fame as an illusionist. He relocates to Paris and creates two mischievous characters, the “Naughties,” who resemble Smurfs but require magic to sustain them. Years ago, Gargamel turned a Naughty girl against the Smurfs, but Papa Smurf transformed her into a Smurf, naming her Smurfette. Now, Gargamel wants the Naughties to infiltrate the Smurf village, kidnap Smurfette, and extract the spell from her that turns Naughties into Smurfs, granting them magical energy that Gargamel can harness for his sorcery. When their adopted sister vanishes, the Smurfs embark on a rescue mission, seeking help once again from Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) and his family, including his young son Blue and elderly stepfather Victor (Brendan Gleeson).
Although the film is set in Paris, much of the filming took place in the French quarters of Montreal, Canada.
A Surprising Sequel
Two years prior, Raja Gosnell directed what many considered a disastrous film, even by the standards of a director who began his career with “Home Alone 3.” “The Smurfs” seemed destined to fail, with audiences expected to protest against the adaptation of the beloved Belgian comic and animated series. However, that didn’t happen. The public embraced the nonsensical film, riddled with product placement, and even asked for more.
In the American version, Katy Perry voices Smurfette. However, none of her songs are featured in the film. The final song, for example, was recorded by Britney Spears.
An Unexpected Improvement
Gosnell has delivered the second installment of the planned trilogy, and surprisingly, it’s a significant improvement over the first! While the director hasn’t transformed into an inspired storyteller, and his team of five writers still struggle to produce an original joke, the second film is a coherent, occasionally funny, and often engaging tale for young children (adults may find little to enjoy). It delves into a relatable dilemma for many children: “Who are my parents? Those who conceived and gave birth to me, or those who raised and nurtured me?”
The Benefits of Being a Sequel
Many sequels suffer from continuing a familiar story, losing the freshness of the initial encounter with vibrant characters. “The Smurfs 2,” however, benefits from being a sequel. Firstly, the second film cannot be criticized for arbitrarily moving the action from the magical world to Earth. Since Gargamel now resides here, the Smurfs’ return to our world is justified. Secondly, the sequel doesn’t bore viewers with jokes about the fairytale characters not knowing how to use toilets on Earth (both Gargamel and the Smurfs have had time to adapt to our world). Although toilet humor remains, it’s now just corny rather than aggressively stupid. Finally, the relocation to Paris eliminates blatant product placement and scenes at Winslow’s workplace. In “The Smurfs 2,” Patrick is not a marketing vice president (a truly fantastical character!), but a kind friend to the main characters who helps rescue Smurfette and realizes how wrong he was to resent his stepfather for many years. Thus, Winslow’s story doesn’t detract from the blue creatures’ adventures but reinforces the moral that Gosnell attempts to convey in the main narrative (Smurfette choosing between Papa Smurf and Gargamel). Although the direction is too clunky and awkward to be called “touching” or “heartfelt,” “The Smurfs” is clearly moving in the right direction. If this trend continues, the third or fourth Smurfs film might just be a masterpiece!