The Smurfs
Metascore
30 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 22
  3. Negative: 11 out of 22
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  1. Movieline
    Reviewed by: S.T. Vanairsdale
    Jul 28, 2011
    70
    This is a film that transcends "good" or "bad," "like" or "don't like."
  2. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jennie Punter
    Jul 28, 2011
    50
    Sitcom star Harris puts his smart-aleck chops to good use as Patrick Winslow.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Jul 28, 2011
    50
    Sure, Smurfs are blue, but who knew that they actually work blue?
  4. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    Jul 28, 2011
    50
    Once you're done trying to conjugate the smurfs, there's a better movie than anyone could have possibly expected, thanks in large part to an honest effort by Harris in a thankless role.
  5. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Scott Bowles
    Jul 28, 2011
    50
    Smurfs is utterly kid-friendly.
  6. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    Jul 28, 2011
    50
    The bottom line: Any movie that gives Jonathan Winters work is doing something right.
  7. Orlando Sentinel
    Reviewed by: Roger Moore
    Jul 28, 2011
    50
    The slapstick is very small-kid friendly and even the most adult-friendly jokes are pretty mild stuff.
  8. Variety
    Reviewed by: Justin Chang
    Jul 28, 2011
    50
    Adorable and annoying, patently unnecessary yet kinda sweet, it's a calculated commercial enterprise with little soul but an appreciable amount of heart.
  9. Tampa Bay Times
    Reviewed by: Steve Persall
    Jul 27, 2011
    50
    I deferred to the wisdom of Grouchy Smurf (George Lopez): "I didn't hate it as much as I expected to. But I still hated it."
  10. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    Jul 29, 2011
    40
    Azaria channels his inner Charles Nelson Reilly, which helps, as does an evil emoting cat. Kids under 7 will likely giggle at some too-harsh pratfalls, not care about a grown man's fear of procreation, not get all the tiny innuendos and possibly miss how the movie is a fairly successful tourism ad for New York.
  11. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    Jul 28, 2011
    40
    For all the digitally enhanced Smurfness, the results are remarkably mirthless.
  12. New Orleans Times-Picayune
    Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    Jul 29, 2011
    38
    Clever story? Pass. Originality? Nah. A smidgen of real humor to keep parents entertained along with the kiddies? Smurf you.
  13. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Ed Gonzalez
    Jul 28, 2011
    38
    Like the show, this boring, lazy, clumsily staged, overly lit, unnecessarily 3D-ed contraption even culminates with some half-hearted moral hectoring-in this case, the togetherness of the Smurfs works to validate heteronormative values.
  14. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    Jul 28, 2011
    33
    Actual kids may find this fun, but for adults, watching The Smurfs may feel a little too much like trying to wrangle an overcrowded kiddie birthday party.
  15. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Keith Staskiewicz
    Jul 27, 2011
    33
    The Smurfs may be blue, but their movie is decidedly green, recycling discarded bits from other celluloid Happy Meals like "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Garfield," and "Hop" into something half animated, half live action, and all careful studio calculation.
  16. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Nick Schager
    Aug 2, 2011
    30
    Gosnell directs as if every scene must be either a nauseating roller-coaster ride or a syrupy melodrama, resulting in a seesawing tone that's not stabilized by the presence of Neil Patrick Harris.
  17. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    Jul 28, 2011
    30
    This animated-live action hybrid is really more 3-D disaster than family comedy. Even Neil Patrick Harris, who has proved he can save just about any sinking ship, cannot make this boat float.
  18. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Sean OConnell
    Jul 28, 2011
    25
    The Smurfs is exactly like Amy Adams's princess-in-Manhattan comedy "Enchanted," only far less clever, kindhearted, original, exciting or entertaining.
  19. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Amy Nicholson
    Jul 29, 2011
    20
    Looking at the obnoxious TV ads for The Smurfs, it's easy to dismiss the film as a shrill, joyless exercise in special effects without substance. It's even easier after actually seeing it.
  20. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Keith Uhlich
    Jul 29, 2011
    20
    Smurftastic! Now where's that noose?
  21. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    Jul 28, 2011
    11
    What the kids at my screening seemed to like best was the wizard's cat, whose mouth is computer-manipulated to utter pithy asides.
  22. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Jul 29, 2011
    0
    Ineptly directed by Raja Gosnell -- the genius behind the "Scooby-Doo" features, "Big Momma's House," and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" -- this cheesy-looking flick has lousy animation, worse special effects and the most headache-inducing, blurry 3-D since "Clash of the Titans."

User Reviews

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User Score
4.5 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 122 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 41
  3. Negative: 18 out of 41
  1. GregTehBunny
    1
    This movie is a monument to everything that's wrong about our society. It uses celebrity clout (Katy Perry, I'm looking at you) to sell tickets instead of actually putting work into the things that matter in a film like clever jokes and character development. Instead, a joke that featured heavily in the film was the - take a word and replace it with 'smurf' - gag which made me want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon. Sure, it was a big part of the TV show as well, but we as a culture have moved on from that kind of entertainment. Overall, this movie met my expectations - very low quality flick produced solely to entertain little kids and give stressed parents a break from their little demons.… Full Review »
  2. filmtrashreview
    2
    I know the film was going to be dumb but I didn't know it was going to be stupider then Garfield and the Chipmunks combined. Its lame its horrible and the amount of references to the word smurf is just annoying. It's smurftarded!!!… Full Review »
  3. scrieciu
    5
    I'm not sure making a smurf movie would be such a good idea, especially in 2011. If it was released back when the smurfs were popular, it would of worked out. I'm not saying that I hate them, on the contrary, I used to like the smurfs when I was a kid. I don't understand why they brought them back. It just ruins the reputation of the smurfs. The people who would be interested to see this are little kids, which surprisingly makes a good family movie. It wasn't that bad. This got to be the movie that surprised me the most this year. Of course, there are some flaws. It has '' cheesy '' humor, the villain Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) was stupid and has other '' cliche '' stuff that you would expect. This kind of entertainment is useless and annoying these days. Hollywood producers, directors or whatever, should stop making these type of movies. Also, has you probably already know, Katy Perry does the voice of Smurfette. She actually did a good job. But it starting to get on my nerves to see singers appearing in movies (it's okay if they can actually act), leave that to the actors. Anyway, I saw this movie with my little brother, and he liked it. So this movie may be enjoyable for kids, even I surprisingly thought it was better then I expected. At some points, I even managed to get entertained a bit.… Full Review »
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