The new 3D film "The Smurfs" hits theaters today.
Of course you know that they’re tiny, blue and sing a song that will get stuck in your head for days. (Na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na …) But believe it or not, this summer marks the first time the Smurfs will have ever hit the big screen—and they’re debuting in 3D. The little blue beings were wildly popular here in the U.S. about 30 years ago thanks to their hit cartoon TV show, but the Smurfs seemed to fall into oblivion when the series was cancelled in the late 1980s. While they have managed to maintain a large fan base in Europe and Asia, the blue guys have struggled to regain American celebrity … until now.
The Smurfs (In 3D) Trailer (via YouTube)
Heirs to the Smurf rights initiated a nearly 10-year-long process of returning the blue creatures to the States while ensuring that they remained unchanged by Hollywood and stayed true to the Smurf legacy, created by their father, Belgian cartoonist Pierre “Peyo” Culliford.
The rights holders were adamant about a few fundamental Smurf laws. First, the Smurfs are three apples tall and always wear their iconic hats and pants. If a hat gets blown away during an action sequence, that’s fine, but it must immediately go back on. Perhaps most importantly, Smurfs are kind—no cursing, no gossiping behind others’ backs, no bad behavior—which is a tough distinction to make in the aggressive world of showbiz where mean often sells.
Somehow the Smurf heirs and movie studios magically came to an agreement, and Sony Pictures picked up the movie rights in 2008 (after Paramount gave them up). And so began the Smurfs journey from Hollywood to New York.
In the film, the Smurfs are happily ensconced in 14th-15th century life when the evil Gargamel (Hank Azaria) discovers their utopian Belgian village. As they flee, they fall into a portal that transports the three-apples-high creatures to the real Big Apple. Imagine their surprise when they’re launched into a much larger and a much more futuristic (500-plus years into the future, to be exact) world.
Hank Azaria as Gargamel and Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow in "The Smurfs" movie
Lucky for the Smurfs, they land in the home of Patrick and Grace Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays), a sweet couple expecting their first child together. While Patrick struggles to come to terms with the changes a new baby will bring to his highly organized life, the Smurfs’ appearance throws an added wrench into his plans. On the other hand, Grace embraces the opportunity to try out her maternal skills on the cute creatures.
Soon enough, the couple's domestic bliss (or lack thereof) is shattered when evil Gargamel threatens to find the Smurfs in the middle of Manhattan. Patrick and Grace must protect their new friends and help them find a way back to their village before Gargamel gets them. Of course, this leads to a chase through the streets of New York, with fun scenes shot everywhere from legendary toy store FAO Schwarz to the heart of Times Square.
New York plays a vital role in this live action and CGI (computer-generated imagery) movie, so it’s appropriate that Manhattan has gone blue in the cartoon’s honor. It’s officially “Smurf Week” in the city—Columbus Circle is now a Smurf village, complete with mushroom houses, and the Empire State Building will shine blue all week.
Even the live-action actors have fallen for the little blue creatures, despite never having acted alongside them. (Harris, Mays and Azaria used stickers and dolls during their scenes, and the filmmakers added the CGI-created Smurfs in post-production.) “They really are beautiful little Smurfs,” Mays told Screencrave. “They’re so cuddly, and I’m in love.”
You, too, can fall back in love with the ‘80s-era cartoon with the incredibly array of vintage Smurf memorabilia available on eBay. In fact, there seems to be a strong resurgence of Smurf popularity: Total sales for the search term “Smurfs” are up 47 percent in the past 3 months compared to the previous period. Plus, total Smurf listings have increased 18 percent, and total bids have soared 24 percent.
(images courtesy of Song Pictures)
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