> The Smurfs
Cast: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Tim Gunn, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Katy Perry, Fred Armian, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin
Rating: (G)
Often when Hollywood decides to weave its magic over an existing story it helps not to be a fan of the original.
The Smurfs were around when I was still of an age for after-school television but I found them dull. So I did not have high hopes when I went to see the movie The Smurfs (Rialto and Hoyts).
I was just grateful that there were a heap of children watching it with me so I could gauge how the target audience responded.
Then something weird happened.
I started to get into the Smurfs and began to be annoyed at the children's restlessness during the quiet moments.
I am not going to say you should leave the young ones at home, because after all it is for them and they will enjoy the slapstick action.
It is just that if you relax and go with it there is plenty to amuse and entertain adults as well.
The set-up is that Papa Smurf (voiced by Jonathan Winters) and six other Smurfs land in New York and befriend Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and his wife Grace (Jayma Mays).
Just being around the cheerful blue critters gives Patrick a new outlook on life and he begins to put himself out to help them return home.
Best thing: Hank Azaria has a juicy time as the Smurf-obsessed wizard Gargamel and he alone looks perfectly at home in the CGI world of tiny blue men and Azrael his talking cat.
Worst thing: I found it hard to understand some of the Smurfs and the career dilemmas of New York did not grab the youngsters.
See it with: The littlies. They are the ones who best appreciate the trials of being small in a big person's world.
- Christine Powley
