Los pitufos 2

I'm really puzzled by these reviews. Firstly, we have people saying they hated the first film but this is even worse. Excuse me, but what kind of stupid do you have to be to watch a sequel to a film you hated? Then there's people who complain that the film is for children? But hey, what did you expect? Well, I expected the worst, I never liked the Smurfs and I'm old enough to remember that awful song from the 70s. I've seen the McDonalds toys and I was prepared to hate this. But every Sunday we take our children to see a movie for a pound and this is what was on. I've seen Despicable Me 2, Turbo, Monsters University, Cloudy with Meatballs 2 and the Rise of the Guardians over the last few weeks on the same terms. I enjoyed those in varying degrees, but I wanted to give this one a miss. But it's for the kids, not me, so I went along. And I guess what, I actually enjoyed it.

There's no point me regurgitating the plot, but highlights for me were Christina Ricci giving a bit of Wednesday to Vexy, the naughty sister Smurf, the one-dimensional pantomime baddie (he's behind you!) and the cat, which amused me if no-one else. The plot is not believable, according to some. Yeah, and you sat though Despicable Me 2 and Cloudy with Meatballs 2? The plot is consistent with the rules set for the movie, just go with it. And if your children like it, what's not to like for you?

Raja Gosnell's Smurfs 2 is an animated follow-up to the popular series that attempts to recapture the magic of the first Smurfs. The movie centers on Gargamel's abduction of Smurfette and presents his cunning creatures, the Naughties. The animation is colorful, but the plot is shallow and unoriginal. Although the Naughties bring a novel dynamic, the characters and storyline seem cliched and predictable. In spite of these flaws, The Smurfs 2 has heartfelt and humorous moments, which makes it a fun film for younger viewers and series devotees. The ensemble, which includes Hank Azaria and Neil Patrick Harris, is enthusiastic in their parts, and the film's uplifting messages of acceptance and friendship are felt throughout.

These "The Smurfs" movies seem to be nothing more than one of those childish animated, live-action hybrid adaptations of classic cartoons/comics that are obviously made for cash-in and distraction for little(r) audiences, but this sequel kind of hooked me. There is something behind the story that might help this being a little more than another juvenile family fare. We're not expecting it to become deeper or darker, but the film would've think that kids need to earn better lessons or genuine heart in their entertainment other than just feeding them with endless slapstick comedy and pop culture references. The Smurfs 2 had some good potential, but the rest stays mediocre.

The existence of the film itself was never promising, it still centers in the real world even though there are better things to explore in their magical world. But there is a sense at the first act that may have an actual story to tell. The plot mostly concerns about Smurfette's true identity, if she really belongs to the Smurfs or go back to her origin as a Naughty. It's not really meant to be complex, but there would've been at least something that could fill the audience's heart. The best parts are when they are talking about its heartfelt themes, and that is a mild benefit for this film. However, the storyline is still kind of the same by throwing away plenty of childish gags. Aside of its family subtext, some subplots give each of the characters their own random situations. I presume they're meant for laughs, but they didn't go anywhere in the end. It's still a mediocre storytelling which outweighs the bigger picture.

Despite of its superficiality, the filmmaking is as energetic as it has always been. The director once again brings the film's cartoonish quirks, and the actors are having fun with their roles which also brings it to life. You can see that in Hank Azaria who seems really enjoying playing the evil wizard, Gargamel. The special effects are as good as it gets. I guess there isn't much else to talk about the technicalities.

There are things in The Smurfs 2 that could have worked, but the filmmakers stick to their usual way of entertaining kids. It's nothing new, but this sequel has a better message compared to the first movie, though how the film delivers it didn't actually help making the whole experience any satisfying or worth telling. In the end, I think children will mostly focus the cute stuff and the characters' random antics than the thematic stuff about family, because at all, those are what this movie is more interested in. Again, The Smurfs 2 doesn't look like it's destined to be a great film, but diminishing the premise that was set up in beginning can be a disappointment.

The Smurfs 2 continues with the adventures of the adorable blue creatures called, Smurfs. When Smurfette(Katy Perry) assumes that the rest of the Smurfs have forgotten her birthday, she's very depressed & wanders off alone. She thinks that she's not a true blue Smurf as she was originally a Naughty created by the evil wizard, Gargamel(Hank Azaria). Meanwhile Gargamel hatches an evil plot to kidnap Smurfette & get her to tell the formula to turn two of his Naughties, Vexy(Christina Ricci) & Hackus(J.B Smoove) into real Smurfs. Vexy enters the portal to Smurf village, kidnaps Smurfette & takes her back to Earth. Now,it is up to Papa(Jonathan Winters), Grouchy(George Lopez), Clumsy(Anton Yelchin) & Vanity(John Oliver) to rescue Smurfette from Gargamel before he coerces her to give him the formula. The Smurfs seek the help of their friends, Patrick(Neil Patrick Harris) his wife, Grace(Jayma Mays) & Patrick's step-dad Victor(Brendan Gleeson).

The Smurfs 2 was lots of fun! I can't believe it has such a low rating on IMDb. It's not supposed to be the best film ever. It's just a cute movie about love, friendship, the importance of family & how they will always be by your side. Looking at the morals the film teaches you, it's a perfect weekend outing with your family & a perfect popcorn movie for everyone who wants to watch it alone. The fusion between live-action & animation is enchanting. The 3D is flawless. The entire movie is filled with eye popping 3D effects. The best scene in the film for me is when, Smurfette & the Naughties are flying around Paris. Mind blowing visual effects & animation. Hank Azaria is the standout performer as the bumbling wizard, Gargamel. Neil Patrick Harris is great as Patrick. Jayma Mays is impressive as Grace. Brendan Gleeson is hilarious as Victor. Katy Perry, Christina Ricci, Jonathan Winters, Anton Yelchin, George Lopez, John Oliver & J.B Smoove are perfect as Smurfette, Vexy, Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, Vanity & Hackus respectively. The gags are a little childish but, it is a comedy for kids, not adults. All in all, The Smurfs 2 is loads of fun & is worth a watch.

This is an alright enough second instalment for all viewers to watch. The crew could have worked more on this film to make it better but it was still watchable. The storyline of this second instalment film was straightforward and weak. There was not any real direction to it. The cast selection was alright enough. They did not exactly fully commit nor connect to the storyline nor to their respective characters. This second instalment film reveals to viewers that everyone should be accepted for who they really are. During my entire lifetime, I have never been accepted for who I really am. I have always been mistreated. This is an alright second instalment film that could have been better.