Maybe it was just that my expectations were low, but "The Smurfs" is a fun summer movie that will certainly have youngsters laughing.
The Smurfs - the original blue-man (and girl) group - are going about their lives until the evil Gargamel (Hank Azaria) shows up. Before he can grab the Smurfs for his wizardry work, six escape to a mystical land of glass and steel - New York. There, they get the help of a sweet young couple (Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays) to try to get home before Gargamel can grab them (a recurring theme as anyone who saw the cartoon knows).
Most of the credit for the movie working goes to Azaria, who plays the role of Gargamel so far over the top he could probably see both poles of the planet while filming. This is a rare case where such an extreme actually works. There's no way to take the film seriously when Azaria keeps reminding us this is just a movie about blue people who are three apples tall.
The computer-generated Smurfs are fun and feature some smurfing good voice work by Jonathan Winters, as Papa Smurf, and Anton Yelchin, as Clumsy Smurf. Katy Perry's voice work as Smurfette is OK, but it's not distinct enough to warrant the star casting.
No matter the voice casting, please note: With Smurfs, there's always going to be a lot of blue language.
Director Raja Gosnel ("Beverly Hills Chihuahua") knows how to mix real and animated action. He should have cut at least 10 minutes from the film - including a painfully long "Guitar Hero" performance - to quicken the pace. But he generally has the right tone for a kids movie.
"The Smurfs" never reaches the magical highs of "Enchanted," but it is better than other movies that mixed live action and animation, such as "Yogi Bear." It's a film that combines just enough sweetness and silliness to entertain.
If that's not what you're looking for in a movie, then smurf yourself to a different theater.
'THE SMURFS'
Rating: PG for some mild rude humor and action.
Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.