Monday, August 5, 2013

The Smurfs 2

The Smurfs 2 (Malay)A Malay dubbed version of the sequel to the hybrid live action/animated family blockbuster comedy "The Smurfs". The evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world's greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties; Vexy and Hackus, or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?
Classification: U
Genre: Comedy / Animation / Family
General Release Date: 08 Aug 2013
Running Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Cast: Hafizuddin Fadzil, Lisa Surihani, Zizan Razak, Ray ERA, Aznil Nawawi, Elfira Loy
Director: Raja Gosnell
Format: 2D

[Reviews] [Showtimes] [Trailer] [Malay Synopsis]

Review
by Naseem Randhawa

Star Rating:
Overall:
Cast:
Plot:
Effects:
Cinematography :

Watch this if you liked: "The Smurfs" & "Garfield"

The Smurfs are back at it again, and needless to say, if you are a fan of the first movie or the adorable blue-loving creatures, then you may adore "The Smurfs 2". But unlike most animations these days that try to cater to all ages, "The Smurfs 2" will appeal mainly to its intended audience aged 12 and below.

This time around, the only female Smurf; Smurfette (voiced by Lisa Surihani in this BM dubbed version) is kidnapped on her birthday by the evil wizard Gargamel (voiced by Datuk Aznil Hj Nawawi) who is aided by his own brand of non-blue Smurfs; Vexy (voiced by Elfira Loy) and her fool of a brother Hackus (voiced by Ray from Era FM).

To save Smurfette, Papa Smurf (voiced by Hafizuddin Fazli), Vanity Smurf (voiced by Zizan Razak) and Grumpy Smurf leave their comfy Smurf Village to get into our world. In the human world which is first set in New York City and then Paris where Gargamel resides as a huge celebrity magician, we meet Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace Winslow (Jayma Mays) once again, including their now toddler son and the addition of Patrick's stepfather, Victor (Brendan Gleeson) who all join forces to rescue Smurfette and foil Gargamel's plans in ruling the world.

Of the plot of the movie, it's rather lackluster and as many plot holes and under-developed characters it possesses, it is not the main concern here as "The Smurfs 2" is supposed to come off as giddying as possible regardless of the ridiculousness some parts of it translate to be. Well to be fair, to scrutinise the logic of this film would be like scrutinising parody films for their originality.

As cute as they are, "The Smurfs" will hardly ignite the Minion craze we saw not too long ago with "Despicable Me 2", but it will serve as a decent lighthearted entertainment for the young ones. But for adults or the mature, you may just find yourself saying "What the Smurf!".

No comments: