The Smurfs, originally appearing in the Belgian magazine, Spirou, was written and created by Pierre Culliford. The idea was later published as a comic book called, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute, a huge success, leading to the publication of, The First Smurfs’ Adventure. From there, the first Smurfs TV show was released in 1959, leading to the great Smurf movies that we know and love today. 

The Smurfs 2 was released on July 31st, 2013. Unfortunately, it was seen as a failure compared to the first movie, The Smurfs, scoring a 14% on the Tomatometer. Although many critics don’t find it amusing, I thought that The Smurfs 2 was a funny and lovable film that kids and families can enjoy.

The plot follows the Smurfs, most notably, Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters) and Smurfette (Katy Perry), their enemy, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria), and the Smurfs’ human friends, Blue (Jacob Tremblay), Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris), Victor (Brendan Gleeson), and Grace (Jayma Mays). Gargamel’s wicked plan is to steal away the powerful Smurf essence from the Smurfs. To do so, he creates Naughties–evil, gray, and essence consuming “Smurfs.” Using his Naughties, he drags in his young “child,” Smurfette, kidnapping her and attempting to force her to give up the recipe that will turn his Naughties into Smurfs. If his Naughties become Smurfs, he will have as much essence as he needs and can therefore become the most powerful wizard in the world. Papa Smurf and his other friends must team up to save Smurfette and their magic from the powerful clutches of Gargamel. I won’t spoil the entire ending, but it ends as usual: the good guys win.

Overall, The Smurfs 2 was a heartwarming and simple film. It wasn’t hard to follow, as it is made for kids, but there are quite a few funny jokes and a great plot that almost everyone can appreciate. If you enjoy relaxed, comedic, and simple films that give you a sense of childhood nostalgia, you may enjoy The Smurfs 2. I give The Smurfs 2 an 8 out of 10 Smurfs.