The Smurfs 2

This is one of those rare examples of a sequel being better than the original film. The story is the most important quality of any movie to me and the story of "The Smurfs" was not original enough. "The Smurfs 2" however did have sincere drama & originality and that makes it a decent family film. While the film is not a must-see, it was funny despite its flaws.

"Gargamania" (or "Gargamanium", whichever one it is) has its funny moments. Passive Aggressive Smurf was a nice joke in the first film and it was funny to see him in the sequel. I was impressed by the recreation of the Paris Opera House set. You can tell it is a smaller version but you believe it nonetheless. If the Smurfs franchise could do that, why couldn't "The Phantom of the Opera"? Having Blue as four years old didn't quite work. He is too young to add anything to the story but too old to be written out completely. On the other hand, if the film had taken place longer than four years since the first film, it would have been too long. The movie does have its good points. We pity the Naughties during their feeding time at the start of the film and this is important for the story being told. Towards the climax, we have sincere drama from all the plotlines. Smurfette appears to be joining Gargamel and the Naughties while Victor informs Patrick of the true nature of his step-fatherly love before leaving. I wish to clarify though that this type of drama is of the family-friendly variety. It is an improvement from the first film but still nothing extremely special. All the cast members return in this film as does director Raja Gosnell. Sometimes a sequel can make the minor problems I had with the first film appear even less important. That was the case with the "Despicable Me" franchise and for "The Smurfs 2", it was easier to accept Neil Patrick Harris' performance. The "Martin Luther Wing" joke was pretty good. Hank Azaria reprised his role as perfectly as can be expected. His lines referencing "The Empire Strikes Back" and the Beach Boys were pretty funny. Brendan Gleeson didn't seem to be a good choice at first. Nothing against the actor but rather he is better than this genre in my opinion. Then came the dramatic moments and that is where he shines. It made the Patrick/Victor plotline a lot more tolerable. The voice talent for this film should be pointed out because the Smurfs feature films were Jonathan Winters' last two movies. He passed away shortly after recording his voice for this film as Papa Smurf. What I will thank Winters for the most however is his voice acting in "Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation" Katy Perry's voice continues to fit Smurfette quite well. The best casting choice in this sequel is Christine Ricci. Her film personas from early in her career make her a great choice for Vexy. Athletes Shaquille O'Neal and Shaun White voice Smurfs in this film by the way and that is pretty funny.

"The Smurfs 2" is better than the first film but while it has some sincere drama and an original story, it does not make up for its childishness. If you didn't like the first film, you probably don't need to see this movie. I am hearing about a third film and it is hard to predict how it will turn out.

3.5 Stars