The Smurfs
If you look around the internet for a review of The Smurfs, you'll keep seeing a rating of 2 out of 5 (or 20% out of 100%), and some very bad reviews that could lead a man to think that this was actually the worst movie that came out this summer. What I think people are forgetting is that this is after all a movie — or to be more precise, an animation — mainly created for the younger population. And it is not an adaption of one of the original Smurfs series, but a story of its own.
In my opinion, the movie was actually quite decent. I didn't expect much as I am not a fan of movies having a twist of reality and animated figures (and I believe it shouldn't be experimented with that), which is why I think I was satisfied with what we got. The beginning really captured the feeling of the Smurfs series and it quickly progressed to another experience, the 3D Smurfs.
The change is first felt when we see Gargamel (Hank Azaria) alongside Azrael, the first being a real actor and not an animation, while the other is a real cat with some digital enhancing. Though another great difference between this and the old Gargamel is that this one seems to have a better sense for humor and is much better with magical spells. As per usual he wants to capture the Smurfs so he can do all sorts of powerful magic using their essence, and Azrael is there to help him out. However, just as he finds the way to reach their village, he follows a few of them into a magical portal that opens only under Blue Moon.
The portal takes them all to the real world, where Clumsy Smurf (voice by Anton Yelchin) is unintentionally taken by Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) to his home, and the other Smurfs follow them. While Gargamel is trying to find a way to reach them, Patrick and his wife Grace (Jayma Mays), who is carrying their first child, are freaked out by the Smurfs in their apartment. And while Grace is happy to have them around, Patrick finds them annoying and disturbing, and he is having a hard time concentrating on his project while they are around. In fact, his whole job and a promotion depend on the advert that he is supposed to create in two days, so the Smurfs really "picked" the time.
But as we said, Gargamel is a slightly greater villain in this movie as he is way more powerful than the Smurfs, and it seems they barely slip out of his hands all the time. In fact, if it isn't for Patrick and Grace to save them, he would actually achieve his goal once and for all. But the movie stays true to old fashioned ends where the Smurfs win and stay happy forever — they even open the portal with some help and manage to go back to their world.
Although the plot isn't much, and it might not be completely something new, I believe that simply the fact that Neil is starring (or well, even Jayma maybe, if you are a Gleek) should bring you to cinemas. But don't get your hopes up that you will enjoy it as much as you did the original Smurfs series back when you were a kid, although if you bring a kid with you, you might just see them enjoying it as much.