The Smurfs 2

Those loveable blue creatures The Smurfs return for a second CGI adventure that bears only a slim resemblance to the cute cartoons of the eighties that made them famous.

One of the main problems with this outing is that too much time is spent with the humans in the story. For while Smurfette – the creation of evil Gargamel (Azaria) who was turned into a good blue smurf by Papa Smurf – is kidnapped by Gargamel and his ‘naughties’ (two grey smurf-like creatures) in Paris, only a handful of smurfs are sent to save her and much of the work is done by the couple who helped the smurfs in the first movie, Patrick (Harris) and Grace (Mays). They now have a child named Blue and also Patrick’s stepdad (Gleeson) in tow, so there’s some moralising about being a good dad that ties in with Smurfette deciding whether she wants to be a good smurf or embrace the inner naughtiness that she believes she inherited from ‘dad’ Gargamel.

It’s all pretty inoffensive stuff, and Azaria looks like he’s having a ball as the movie’s meanie, but it lacks charm and warmth and, most importantly, humour. Aside from a few scenes where Gleeson’s character is turned into a duck, there are very few laughs to be had and only devoted Smurf fans will want to join their blue pals on this dull adventure.