Those lovable blue munchkins from your childhood memory have returned to haunt you in CG form, just like Alvin and the Chipmunks, Scooby-Doo and (sigh) Garfield did. But for whatever reason, I’m cautiously optimistic about the Smurfs movie because this newly released image doesn’t look that terrible. Seems like they’ve nailed character design to remain authentic to the original cartoon Les Schtroumpfs created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo.Plus with Hank Azaria fitting the role of Gargamel perfectly, we may have a winning combination folks. Then again, the plot synopsis from the USA Today article that debuted the image is a bit more worrisome.
During the opening scene, set in that original time, Gargamel discovers the Smurfs’ magical village and scatters them into the woods. “Unfortunately, Clumsy goes the wrong way into a forbidden grotto where a few other Smurfs follow,” says director Raja Gosnell (Scooby-Doo). “Because it’s a blue moon, there’s a magical portal that transports them to Central Park.” Source USA Today
Yikes! I’ll leave my cynicism for these ’80s cartoon live action remakes to the wayside until the trailer hits tomorrow but in all honesty, I’m really hoping that this film can still be good. I mean in theory, I want the memories of cartoons from my childhood to be even better when I see them in a large budgeted theatrical remake. Yet instead those memories are destroyed by films like Transformers and GI Joe. Did I mention Smurfs is also going to be in 3D? (sigh)
Probably the only right way to remake a cartoon from the 80s is to hire Japanese animators and turn it into an anime. Thundercats anyone?
The first trailer will premiere Thursday.
Are you excited for The Smurfs?