Movie · 2025 · Animation, Family, Fantasy · 1h 29m · PG · English
Curator score: 0.2/10 (40.5K ratings)
Adventure comes out of the blue.
Overview
When Papa Smurf is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.
Rihanna, James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Dan Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Kurt Russell, John Goodman, Chris Miller, Rachel Butera
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A loud, overstuffed family fantasy with a thin story, generic studio-comedy energy, and little reason to exist beyond brand recognition. The movie seems aimed at very young kids, but the reviews suggest even that audience may find it forgettable rather than fun.
Best for
Families with very young children who want bright, simple fantasy
Viewers who are curious about the latest franchise reboot
Fans of animated spectacle who can tolerate weak plotting
Skip if
You want sharp writing or memorable characters
You are tired of disposable IP-driven studio animation
You prefer family films with real emotional warmth or originality
Overview
Smurfs is the kind of franchise reboot that feels assembled from committee notes rather than a clear creative impulse. The premise sends the characters into the real world on a rescue mission, but the execution appears to lean on noisy gags, broad sentiment, and generic quest mechanics instead of any fresh comic identity.
Worth noting
The reaction around it points to a movie that is more exhausting than entertaining: visually polished in the way modern studio animation usually is, but emotionally flat and narratively disposable. Even the novelty of the cast and music seems unable to overcome the sense that this is brand management, not storytelling.
Bottom line
For families with very young kids, there may be enough color and movement to pass the time. For most viewers, though, it looks like exactly the sort of reboot that vanishes from memory almost as soon as it ends.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (1★) · 4095 likes
Emblematic of every problem with modern studio filmmaking while also feeling like it should have come out in 2005. It's incredible that executives still think there is enough cinematic potential in the fucking Smurfs to greenlight the third reboot in less than 15 years. Exactly as bad as I was expecting, I just wish it could have been worse since at least then I would have remembered it in a day's time.
Cartoonshi (1.5★) · 2526 likes
They took Influencer Smurf out back and shot him
𝐉 (2★) · 2121 likes
every generation needs their shitty smurf movie, it's part of the prophecy
vasili (2★) · 1662 likes
rihanna when we said “get back to the studio” this isn’t what we meant
A colorful family adventure built around oddball characters and energetic world-building.
Topics
animated family film, fantasy adventure, franchise reboot, road-trip quest, real-world crossover, kids comedy, studio animation, lighthearted tone, IP adaptation, modern blockbuster