At a time when the likes of Universal’sHow to Train Your Dragonremake,Gareth Edwards' big-budget dino-flickJurassic World Rebirth, and the brand-new, critically acclaimedSupermanfrom directorJames Gunnare dominating the box office, it can be difficult for any new movie to slip seamlessly onto screens. This is the reality faced by Paramount’s usually reliableSmurfs, as it joinedAri Aster’sEddingtonand the reboot ofI Know What You Did Last Summerin their underwhelming box office performances this last weekend.
Sadly, following adisappointing opening weekend, it seems things keep going from bad to worse forSmurfs, with 2011’sThe Smurfsnear $600 million global haul now feeling like a target already unreachable. Officially, following the poor weekend,Smurfs' scores from both critics and audiences on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoeshave gone from bad to worse, with the former dropping to a dreadful 20% and the latter to a more respectable 65%. This 20% score sees the movie now fall below the 21% earned by the aforementioned 2011 effort, without the saving grace of financial success.
Directed byChris Miller,Smurfsfeatures a star-studded cast, including the Hollywood return ofRihannain the role of Smurfette. Smurfette is a character often saved for pop royalty, withKaty PerryandDemi Lovatoboth having previously voiced the role. Alongside Rihanna in theSmurfscast are the likes ofKurt Russell,Nick Offerman,Hannah Waddingham,Natasha Lyonne,Octavia Spencer, and many more, with the script penned by regularTrey ParkerandMatt StonecollaboratorPam Brady.
‘Smurfs’ Is a Mixed Bag, But Is It Really That Bad?
It can be difficult to separate an adult view of film from the easily pleased lens ofSmurfs' target audience of children. With that in mind, isSmurfsreally worth all the hate it is receiving? Well, according to Collider’sJeff Ewing, perhaps not, with the critic awarding the movie a mixed5/10 in his review, a score perhaps much higher than many others might give. “Smurfsis messy, overstuffed, and chaotic,” Ewing wrote, adding, “The film feels like too many ideas for a Smurfs movie in one: essentially two protagonists, two villains, a massive crisis, while juggling a lot of characters and touring through as many worlds.” However, he later added:
“That said,it’s largely better than what came before. The animation allows the Smurfs to look like pleasant cartoons (instead of sporting the bulged, baggy eyes of the 2011 outing), making for a pleasant experience on the animation front, andSmurfshas an experimental segment that’s one of the film’s finest.”
Smurfsis available to watch in theaters now. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
