DVD reviews
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"... a thundering example of style over substance."
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The Illusionist
“...a film that generally brings warm smiles rather than belly laughs...”
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"A willing suspension of disbelief should get most viewers across the line."
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The Smurfs (DVD)
Year: 2011
Rating: G
Director: Raja Gosnell
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Kevin James, Katy Perry, Quentin Tarantino, Sofia Vergara
Release Date: January 05, 2012
Distributor: Sony
The Film: 2.0
The Disc: Zero
FILMINK rates DVDs and Blu-rays out of 5"...the lacklustre performances and uninspiring script fail to engage viewers of any age."
The evil wizard, Gargamel, finally discovers the utilitarian utopia of Smurf Village after a lifetime of confrontation. Along with his conniving cat, Azrael, the pair pursues the blue forest-dwellers, eventually stumbling into a portal that transports them to Central Park, New York. The trapped Smurfs, including Brainy, Smurfette, Clumsy and Papa, need human help get them home before Gargamel tracks them down.
The Smurfs is testament to the Hollywood addiction of repackaging childhood cartoons into uninspiring spin-offs that disappoint new audiences and old fans alike. Although the budget is big and the animated characters demonstrate a real improvement in CGI, the lacklustre performances and uninspiring script fail to engage viewers of any age. Hank Azaria as Gargamel is the one exception, emulating the villain of the cartoon series with satisfying comedic desperation.
One point to emphasise with these remakes is the repeated device of throwing established characters into the human world. The results of this are unreliable at best, with the Smurfs losing their mystical qualities when outside the borders of the forest. With skilled casting and characterisation, this device can succeed (Masters of the Universe being a good example). In this case, New York is no Smurf Village.
Alas, no special features either on this release.
