What was I thinking? I knew this movie was going to be bad, but yet I felt compelled to go see it for myself. I was never really a big fan of the Smurfs cartoon but yet I remember I wanted that Smurfs Atari game so bad. Later I found out that it was horrible but I'm sure I would have loved it as a kid. Why did I go see this?

It's not completely terrible. Hank Azaria did a very good job playing Gargamel and I could actually see the cartoon counterpart that he was based on. I didn't see this in 3D but I can imagine it would be pretty entertaining to watch in that format. I just didn't pay for the 3D because I didn't want to pay more for a bad film, and I had been suffering with headaches lately. I didn't want to make it worse.

With that being said, the film centers around the Smurfs escaping from Gargamel who found them in their village. In some weird way, they come across this portal they knew nothing about until that time, and they are forced to go into this portal in order to escape from Gargamel and his CG cat Azriel. There, the Smurfs stumble upon New York City where they find the care of Doogie Houser and his cute, pregnant wife. They must find a way back home while being hunted by Gargamel on the streets of New York, and Doogie is trying to not to get fired from his cosmetics job.

One of my biggest problems is that I never felt connected to the Smurfs. The only ones that I really knew was Papa Smurf (who can ever forget Papa Smurf anyway), Smurfette and Clumsy Smurf who the only reason why I knew him is because they always reference how clumsy he is, gets left behind, and I knew that he was going to be the hero by the end of it all. Movie 101: If a character in your film is the underdog, he will always prevail in the end. This film is no exception.

The film is basically sloppy writing through and through, especially in the ending. The film could have ended easily by having the adults handle all the work but we couldn't have a Smurfs climax without having them be the center of it. So they basically just have the adults just stand around somewhere as the Smurfs get their butts kicked by Gargamel.

It's a kid's film and this film knows it. The kids will eat this up despite probably never seeing the cartoons. It wasn't the worst film I've seen but certainly not the greatest of kid's films. It was directed by Raja Gosnell. I should have stayed far away. Smurf you, Raja.

Thank goodness The Smurfs was not the god-awful trainwreck everyone made it out to be, or else I would have wasted thirty minutes in line to see another failed cartoon adaptation.

I won't say it's good, but it was surprisingly not bad. Of course, The Smurfs does not exactly have enough substance to hold a full-grown adult's attention for all of its 86 minutes, but it is a surefire hit with the kids. The linear and simple plot follows a small group of Smurfs that get accidentally sucked into a portal to the human world while trying to escape the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria). The little blue people quickly enlist the help of married couple Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays) to protect them from Gargamel, who plans to harvest the Smurfs' essence for magical power, and to re-create a portal that only happens once in a blue moon…

The movie includes some emotional subplots with Papa Smurf and Patrick, who feels he is unready to start his own family; though it all becomes pretty unnecessary in the face of the Smurfs' main goal to return home. Humor, again, mainly appeals to the kids, sporting sight gag after sight gag, but every once in a while there's a clever reference thrown in for the older folks in the audience. Hank Azaria gives about the most cartoonish performance as any villain could, resulting in an upsetting mix of interest and annoyance. On the other hand, where it is used the CGI is incredibly high-quality (i.e. the Smurfs, Gargamel's cat, etc.), and the special effects are designed more specifically for 3-D viewing than in most movies as of late.

I know some people have proclaimed this film to be a bastardization of a childhood cartoon favorite, but I argue that it isn't. The film is very aware of its origins with Peyo and respects that fact. They actually pay direct homage to the creator towards the end of the story. An exact imitation of the cartoon series this movie is not, but it is a fun and well-intentioned take on the story.

The Smurfs is mildly entertaining, at its best, but it is written with the right spirit and is in no way an injustice against the original series. It offers a nostalgic throwback (with a modern twist) for the adults and an amusing show for the little ones. For the ones in between, I advise avoiding this movie.

Please people, some objectivity... A movie that does not conform to your personal tastes need not automatically be rated 1 or 2, a rating which I'd take to mean that it is just about the worst kind of crap you have ever laid eyes on (unless of course you really think it is in which case I'd recommend you to "broaden your cinematic horizons", but most people tend to exaggerate their opinions based on their emotional bias).

This is a children's movie, plain and simple, although admittedly a mediocre one in comparison to some of the truly great children's movies. As such there are certainly things about this movie that could have been handled in a more satisfying manner. One positive thing I can mention is the fact that it does not try to be anything but what it is.

Now, I may of course be wrong... It has been a very long time since I were in a position to give any accurate recommendations to the age group targeted by this movie. However, I must admit that what is left of the child within did find parts of it rather entertaining! :)