CGI Smurfs movie!

[GeorgeC]

I thought the lesson this summer was that audiences were tired of repeats, rehashes, and most sequels/franchises?

Honestly, does ANYBODY really want to see a CGI Smurfs film?

It's not going to look as good in CGI as it did in hand-drawn animation. Sure, the Hanna-Barbera stuff and the feature film aren't Disney-level animation but at least they had the charm of duplicating Peyo's work near-perfectly. Even Disney hasn't been able to get Donald and Mickey to look much more than marionette-like in CGI.

There's also the fact that Smurfs haven't been in mainstream TV broadcast for close to 10 years now since WB decided to lump them into occasional broadcast on Cartoon Network and later exile on the little-seen Boomerang Network.

Pass.


P.S. -- You just know that with the passing of Gargamel's voice whoever they recruit to replace him won't sound exactly the same...

[ShyViolet]

Even though my eyes hurt after seeing the Garfield trailer (didn't even bother to see that) I'm kind of intrigued by this, although it's another example of my 80's childhood being shilled away (Transformers anyone?)
Plus, didn't they already do a broadway show of this with Jeff Goldblum as Gargamel? (I'm not making this up, I read about it on this site, back when it was animated-movies)

There's also the fact that Smurfs haven't been in mainstream TV broadcast for close to 10 years now since WB decided to lump them into occasional broadcast on Cartoon Network and later exile on the little-seen Boomerang Network.

Pass.

Exactly. Like with Inspector Gadget, the target audience for this film won't even be old enough to remember it!

[Josh]

Plus, didn't they already do a broadway show of this with Jeff Goldblum as Gargamel?

I don't know anything about a Smurf Broadway show featuring Jeff Goldblum as Gargamel. Maybe someone else can help you with that. However, Jeff Goldblum was rumored to be starring in an earlier film version of The Smurfs, in which he was going to serve both directing and acting (Gargamel) duties.

Here is a list of Smurf movie rumors over the years: http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-article036.html. I find it pretty interesting.

[Ben]

Well, since The Smurfs were first seen outside the comis in three dimensions, as those cut little collctibles, I don't see there being a problem with going to CGI, and the fact that this is being planned as a trilogy could mean that they're thinking of something special.

Until we see the first teasers and it looks terrible, I'm looking forward to it, actually.

BTW, the 1974 Magic Flute film was doen by a lot of the staff from Studio Idefix, in Belgium, and the animation is MUCH better than the TV grade Hanna-Barbera stuff (though I loved that too at the time). Magic Flute is as good as what Disney was putting out at the time.

[Josh]

Until we see the first teasers and it looks terrible, I'm looking forward to it, actually.

Same here. At least the Smurfs are getting a new project, rather than being forgotten.

[JessWicked]

I have to say - I'm most distrubed by the fact that they plan on making it a trilogy. If the movie turns out horrible, then I don't see how they can imagine making money off the last two. It's almost as risky as the Shrek sequels - but at least we know the first Shrek was a great movie.
I don't really plan on seeing it unless it looks good in trailers.

[Ben]

Yeah, but the Shrek sequels are not risky.

The second one was only made because part 1 was so huge. And three is only being done because of two's success.

You can bet that in the unlikely event that three fails, then number four will either be shelved or some excuse will be made to churn it out as a (cheaper) DTV...

[ShyViolet]

BTW, the 1974 Magic Flute film was doen by a lot of the staff from Studio Idefix, in Belgium, and the animation is MUCH better than the TV grade Hanna-Barbera stuff (though I loved that too at the time). Magic Flute is as good as what Disney was putting out at the time.

I remember watching this, and it kind of confused me because none of the Smurfs we know from the TV show were there. (Greedy, Handy, Vanity, etc...) Except for Papa Smurf, they all looked exactly the same.
Plus the voices were different too, I think. The whole style was different.
Not that I'm putting it down or anything, it was just my opinion when I was a kid. (what did I know? )

I think a new Smurfs movie might do very well since it was popular in MANY countries.

[Ben]

Yeah, it was different... but actually the original version, later changed and "Disneyfied" for the Hanna-Barbera version.

[bullwinkle]

the Smurfs. oh i dont know about that one.

[droosan]

Prepare yourself .. to see Hank Azaria as Gargamel in .. in modern-day New York City, for some reason.

[EricJ]

The reasons being A) Sony trying to "redeem" a HB-franchise movie by looking at the way they think Warner does it, B) director Raja Gosnell (and the last time, A+B ended up as "Scooby Doo: the Movie" ), and C) the plot has the Smurfs escaping through a magic tunnel into modern-day Central Park.

Which wouldn't be a bad idea for a movie, but I see the Scooby pedigree, and immediately smell a slightly snarkier variation on Enchanted (or at least "Fat Albert"), as studio bet-hedging can't decide whether we historically liked or hated the franchise and tries to kiss up to both.

[Bill1978]

I was sceptical about this CGI Smurf movie, but now with a basic plot description - I have a little more hope for the movie. Well as much hope one could have for a smurf movie. But at least now it makes sense why the Smurfs are CGI

[Foxtale]

I saw the pictures of Hank Azaria on the news page. I must say he is an interesting gargamel. I had no idea that the movie was going to be in NYC. >.< Show's how out of the loop I am lol

[Ben]

Looks like I'm the only one that thinks this could be genius. Last time Azaria and Gosnell teamed up we got the sublime Mystery Men.

Yep, the Enchanted story sounds too similar, but it already looks like it has more smarts than the Chipmunk movies. Hopefully there seems to be a bit of an adult edge to this, and that could pave the way to filling an Enchanted gap in the market.