THE SMURFS
Adventure, laughter, and a whole lot of blue for the family.
Should You Watch It?
The Smurfs brings its famous blue characters to New York City for a bright, simple adventure with a strong heart. The movie celebrates sticking together, putting family first, and recognizing that people are not defined by their weaknesses.
The animation style may not appeal to everyone, and the story gets frenetic at times. Some parents may also want to consider the film’s light occult magic, suggestive moments, and mild crude humor. Still, the movie’s central message is clear: friendship and family matter more than success, money, or personal comfort.
If your family enjoys cheerful fantasy comedy with positive values, this is worth the trip.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESWhen the evil wizard Gargamel drives a group of Smurfs from their village, they tumble through a magic portal and land in New York City’s Central Park. Led by the wise Papa Smurf, the blue explorers must navigate a world they do not understand while finding a way home.
After Clumsy becomes separated from his friends, he ends up with Patrick Winslow, a young executive. The other Smurfs set out to rescue him and escape Gargamel.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means a likable, entertaining film with clear weaknesses. The Smurfs’ distinct personalities give the movie energy, while the adventure moves from one comic situation to the next. Its strongest feature is its heart: the characters believe the best in one another and willingly sacrifice for a friend.
The hybrid animation will not appeal to everyone, and the movie becomes frenetic at times. But the simple fairy-tale structure works for children, and the themes of family, friendship, and self-sacrifice give the comedy lasting value.
The Worldview
The film has a strong moral center. It values family, friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice over getting ahead or getting rich. Clumsy’s story especially affirms that a person’s weaknesses do not define his worth; what matters is the capacity to love and act courageously when others need help.
The movie also includes some competing ideas. Its world contains strong capitalist elements involving competition and advertising, as well as pagan magic with light occult qualities. An implied homosexual reference, a blasphemous comment, suggestive imagery, and crude jokes may also trouble some families.
Even so, the film’s main moral statement is that good should triumph over evil and that people are more valuable than material success. Its longing for faithful friendship and self-sacrifice points toward the biblical truth that “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral worldview overall with some redemptive elements of sacrifice, some strong capitalist elements of competition and advertisements, with some light implied homosexual content, including a comment by Smurfette that she “kissed a Smurf, and [she] liked it” (alluding to the homo-erotic song by Katy Perry, “I kissed a girl, and I liked it”), marred by some strong pagan magic that’s lightly occult, but the focus is on making a moral statement about good triumphing over evil and the value of family and friendship over getting ahead and getting rich; no explicit foul language (but at times the use of the word “Smurf” to replace an obvious obscenity, e.g., “Smurf me” is annoying), one blasphemous comment about how a character can go and work for God if they fail at their job, and a few scatological jokes, such as “I think I just Smurfed in my mouth”; lots of light action and comic violence such as plenty of chases, destruction of Smurf village, Gargamel gets smashed by a tree trunk defense system, a Smurf throws a human a punch, a human attempts to beat Smurfs with umbrella, Gargamel viciously whacks a (digital) cat and sucks Smurfs into a leaf vaccum in order to extract their essence via torture, Smurfs attack Gargamel with golf balls, Smurfette throws nail in (digital) cat’s mouth, Gargamel is sent flying through the air and upon landing is smashed by a bus; no sex scenes or crudity but Smurfette puts on a sexy dress and stands on top of vent replicating the famous Marilyn Monroe scene, sexy models staff a party to sell cosmetic products with their looks; upper male Smurf nudity; cocktail party in central park for product launch; no smoking or drugs; and, nothing else objectionable.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The Smurfs put family and friendship ahead of personal comfort. What does your family do to show that people matter more than possessions or success?
Philippians 2:3–4 · Romans 12:10Clumsy is often treated as though his weaknesses make him less valuable. How does Scripture describe the worth and purpose of people who seem weak?
1 Corinthians 12:22–26 · Psalm 139:13–14The Smurfs willingly sacrifice to save one another. What makes sacrifice difficult, and how can love move us toward it?
John 15:13 · Philippians 2:5–8The film places its heroes in an unfamiliar city. How can friends and family help us remain faithful when we feel out of place?
Joshua 1:9 · Ecclesiastes 4:9–10The Final Word
The Smurfs is a cheerful, sometimes frenetic adventure that gives families plenty of laughter and a lasting reminder about loyalty, courage, and self-sacrificing love. For older children and adults, WORTH THE TRIP.
