Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- playful
- breezy
- nostalgic
- family movie night
- children's afternoon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a weak, formulaic adaptation whose cute characters and visual effects could not overcome its thin writing and broad humor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
CG-animated Smurfs and Gargamel interact with human characters and New York locations.
The Smurfs tumble from their village into Central Park and must navigate the human world.
Gargamel and Azrael repeatedly track and oppose the Smurfs in a cat-and-mouse chase.
The film adapts the widely known Smurfs comic and television characters for a 2011 family audience.
Films like The Smurfs, and why
Yogi Bear
family fantasy comedy combining computer-generated characters with live action, contemporary urban fish-out-of-water humor, and a pursuit by a comic villain
Alvin and the Chipmunks
children's fantasy adventure in which animated or fantastical characters enter the human world and rely on a family-centered ensemble
Paddington
live-action and animation hybrid built around a magical outsider group, broad comedy, and a colorful city setting
Scooby-Doo
family-friendly fantasy comedy adapting a beloved cartoon property into a modern urban adventure
Movie Details
- Director
- Raja Gosnell
- Release Date
- 2011-07-29
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (4090)
Cast
- Hank Azaria
- Neil Patrick Harris
- Jayma Mays
- Jonathan Winters
- Katy Perry
- Anton Yelchin
- Sofía Vergara
- Tim Gunn
- Frank Welker
- Madison McKinley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Smurfs about?
- Tiny blue villagers flee a magical tyrant into New York City, turning a rescue mission into a bright live-action animated family comedy.
- What is The Smurfs like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Smurfs as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Smurfs violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Smurfs as mild.
- What did critics think of The Smurfs?
- Critics broadly found the film a weak, formulaic adaptation whose cute characters and visual effects could not overcome its thin writing and broad humor.
- Which films are like The Smurfs?
- Films with a similar feel include Yogi Bear, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Paddington, and Scooby-Doo.
- How long is The Smurfs?
- The Smurfs runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Smurfs?
- In United States, The Smurfs streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
