Paramount+ has added a new Smurfs movie to its catalog, but early reviews describe the film as a scattershot, quasi-musical reimagining that struggles to ground its blue-creature world in a coherent tone. The project casts pop star Rihanna as Smurfette and leans into a multiverse-styled plot that critics say borrows too freely from other modern hits while losing the charm of the original Smurf franchise.
At the center of the movie is a quest sparked by four magical books that villainous wizards want in order to bend reality. One book—Jaunty Grimoire—has a mind of its own, literally, with arms, eyes, and a brain, voiced by Amy Sedaris. The Smurfs’ village hosts a celebration led by a DJ Papa Smurf, and a Smurf named No Name, voiced by James Corden, longs for a purpose. The plot thickens when the wizards Razamel and Gargamel, who communicate in a margin-mocking Zoom call, steal Papa Smurf and force the Lesser Smurfs, led by Smurfette, to embark on a rescue mission that will push them through a cascade of dreamlike locations and parallel dimensions. Along the way the party encounters Ken and Ron, played by Nick Offerman and Kurt Russell, who appear as two enigmatic, adventure-leaning smurf-adjacent characters rather than any traditional Smurf elder. Natasha Lyonne also stars as Mama Poot, the leader of a friendly group called the Snooterpoots, a shag-carpeted flock of creatures who factor into the trio’s journey through stylized, child-friendly peril.
The film works hard to signal ambition, but many critics say that ambition comes at the expense of a clear through-line. The Smurfs’ language and recurring jokes—like riffs on fries, crafts like clogs, and repeated nods to being a Smurf—are deployed as connective tissue that never solidifies into a cohesive narrative. The tone oscillates between a high-energy, animation-first spectacle and a live-action/animation blend with a hyperactive, almost Marvel-like sensibility. Some sequences veer into third-act territory that toys with various animation styles—Claymation, crayon-drawn moments, and digitally slick textures—but the rapid shifts feel more like a collage than a controlled vision. Critics say this approach echoes a broader trend in IP revivals that chase relevance by stacking genres, but it often leaves character arcs undercooked and the humor uneven.
Inline with the film’s chaotic stylistic approach, performance is a mixed bag. Rihanna’s Smurfette is highlighted as a confident center of the film’s musical energy, though the part she plays is described as a high-volume showcase rather than a clear character journey. Sedaris’ Jaunty Grimoire registers as a quirky comic engine, but some viewers found the character’s charm insufficient to sustain the film’s longer stretches. Corden’s No Name Smurf, who seeks his “thing” and discovers magic against the village’s rules, is described as a tonal mismatch that underscores the project’s struggle to balance whimsy with spectacle. The ensemble around Smurfette, including Offerman, Russell, and Lyonne, contributes moments of wit and warmth, but their scenes often arrive amid a whiplash of visual styles and gag-heavy dialogue that lands inconsistently with younger audiences and older fans alike.
The Smurfs backstory and world-building are both nostalgic and novel in intent, with the franchise’s origin traced to a 1950s Belgian comic and long-time American television adaptation. This film’s pitch—reinvigorating a world of tiny blue villagers with contemporary pop appeal and a meta-textual wink—reflects a broader trend in culture where classic IP is reimagined as a multi-genre event. Yet critics say the execution here functions less as a unified film and more as a showcase of different ideas that never settle into a satisfying rhythm. The result, many reviewers contend, is a movie that tries to be everything at once and ends up feeling like a “Smurfing mess” rather than a cohesive feature.
Our takeaway from the film aligns with a common critical verdict: the project is not lacking in ambition, but it lacks a resolute identity of its own. The attempt to lean into musical moments, superhero-flavored stakes, and brisk, joke-driven humor creates a tonal mosaic that distracts from a straightforward, emotionally grounded Smurf story. The film does not appear to be actively harmful or offensive, but its relentless pace and stylistic leaps make it difficult to connect with the core characters or the central quest in a meaningful way. In short, the movie works hard to be entertaining for children while signaling a wink to adults, yet the result is a restless experience that leaves viewers unsure of what it was supposed to be.
The decision to stream the film on Paramount+ reflects a continuing strategy to unlock franchise content for at-home viewing, while also testing whether reorganizing familiar IP for a streaming audience can translate into durable enthusiasm. The Smurfs, a property that began as a whimsical Belgian comic and found lasting fame through a late-’80s American cartoon era, has seen a number of reboots and spinoffs over the years. This latest iteration raises questions about how far a property can be stretched before its original appeal is eroded. The film’s reception—ranging from amused tolerance to outright weariness—serves as a reminder that revivals must earn their keep with a cohesive vision, not a collage of disparate trends.
As the credits roll, the overarching message for the studio, critics, and families remains the same: if a reboot is to succeed, it should honor the DNA of the source while offering a fresh, clear point of view. This Smurfs entry, despite its star-powered performances and willingness to experiment with style, falls short of that balance. For now, Paramount+ subscribers should proceed with tempered expectations and approach this title as a high-energy, studio-driven experiment rather than a definitive return to the Smurf village. Given the film’s mixed reception and its crowded, stylistically adventurous approach, it might be more prudent to skip this one and revisit the Smurfs in a future release that prioritizes storytelling coherence over visual spectacle.