Smurfs Movie Review: Star power and flashy animation can’t save the chaos

Smurfs

‘Smurfs,’ directed by Chris Miller, was released in theatres on July 18 and features voiceovers by Rihanna, James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Octavia Spencer, John Goodman, and Kurt Russell.

The new ‘Smurfs’ film isn’t the harmless family adventure one might expect. What unfolds instead is a chaotic, visually overstuffed ride that tries too hard to reinvent the franchise for modern sensibilities.

A chaotic, confused return to Smurf Village

There’s no shortage of ambition—it leaps across animation styles, genres, dimensions, and even continents—but the result feels more exhausting than entertaining. There’s colour, noise, and constant motion, yet very little emotional payoff. At best, it’s a wild experiment. At worst, a film that never decides who it's for. What’s missing most is clarity—of tone, of character, and of purpose.

Too many worlds, too little heart

The plot begins with a familiar hook: Papa Smurf (voiced by John Goodman) is kidnapped by the evil wizards Gargamel and his brother Razamel, both voiced by JP Karliak. Smurfette (voiced by Rihanna), stepping up as the unlikely leader, gathers a ragtag rescue team and ventures across bizarre and increasingly surreal dimensions to bring him back. There’s a version of Paris with time-warped architecture, a jungle trapped inside a reality TV simulation, even a stop-motion post-apocalyptic wasteland—all packed into 90 frantic minutes. The sheer variety is visually arresting, but none of it connects emotionally. The transitions are jarring, the pace unrelenting, and the charm of the original 'Smurf' stories is buried under too many detours.

Big swings, uneven returns

There’s no denying the effort on the visual front. The film blends multiple animation styles—CGI, hand-drawn anime, and even claymation—in ways that are bold, sometimes even inventive. A few set pieces sparkle with energy, and occasional jokes do land. Rihanna’s song “Friend of Mine” offers a much-needed pause and brief emotional respite. But these moments are few. The script feels overloaded with gags and references, and the pacing rarely allows space to let the characters settle. The humour keeps jumping—from pop culture jokes to silly slapstick—but none of it really works well. The emotional arcs are thin, leaving the viewer searching for something to latch onto. What could have been a heartfelt tale of belonging and courage becomes a noisy collage with little narrative glue.

Also Read: Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani request privacy, ask paps not to click their baby's pics: "No photos please only blessings"

A cast with talent but little room

Rihanna, as Smurfette, delivers a poised, committed voice performance and brings gravitas when the script allows it. Her dual role as producer seems to have given her a stronger hold on the emotional beats, but they’re often drowned out by chaos. James Corden voices “No Name,” a Smurf whose personality seems built entirely around being underconfident. John Goodman as Papa Smurf brings warmth but is underused. JP Karliak tackles both villains, Gargamel and Razamel, with theatrical flair, though neither character is written with enough consistency or menace to make an impact. The supporting ensemble—Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh, Amy Sedaris, Kurt Russell, Octavia Spencer—reads like an animation dream team, yet most are left on the sidelines. Their lines feel scattered and disconnected, like cameos with no real arc. There’s a sense that the film assembled the cast first and figured out what to do with them later. The result is a noisy soundscape of overlapping voices, none of which truly anchor the story.

An identity lost in the noise

There’s ambition. There’s energy. And certainly, there’s money on the screen. But what’s missing is soul. This film aims to modernise a beloved property for a new generation and does so by throwing every storytelling device imaginable at it—genre mashups, multiverse logic, visual overload—but never finds a beating heart. The film lacks a strong emotional core. The humour is scattershot. The characters are adrift in a film that won’t stop moving long enough to let anyone grow or connect. For young children, the overstimulation may work. For everyone else, it’s likely to wear thin quickly. What should’ve been a warm, fun revival ends up as a case study in how overproduction can drain a story of simplicity and charm. A few sparks here and there, but not enough to light the way.

Rating: 2/5