In the hidden magical village of Smurf Village, the Smurfs are preparing for the Blue Moon Festival. Meanwhile, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) discovers the village's location and chases the Smurfs with his cat, Azrael. While trying to escape, Clumsy Smurf accidentally runs into a forbidden grotto. Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Grouchy, Gutsy, and Clumsy are sucked into a giant magical vortex.
Sony’s real genius was understanding that The Smurfs - 2011 was a branding event, not just a movie. The release was tied to a massive McDonald’s Happy Meal campaign featuring 16 different toys. Walmart sold exclusive Smurf village playsets. The soundtrack, featuring Perry’s “Smurfette’s Theme,” charted globally.
The film successfully reintroduced Peyo’s creations to a generation of children who had never seen the 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoon. For better or worse, it replaced the classic image of the Smurfs (with their single-wide village) with a glitzy, dimension-hopping action-comedy. the smurfs -2011
The group locates an antique toy store to find an old telescope. Gargamel tracks them down, captures Papa Smurf, and extracts "Smurf Essence" (which turns the wizard powerful and youthful). The other Smurfs and Patrick rally to save Papa.
During the final confrontation at Belvedere Castle in Central Park, Gargamel attempts to blast the Smurfs. However, Clumsy—who has spent the movie feeling like a liability—saves the day by knocking Gargamel’s wand into the air. The Smurfs catch it and blast Gargamel, sending him flying into a pile of garbage. Clumsy is hailed as a hero. In the hidden magical village of Smurf Village,
The film focused on a core group of Smurfs rather than the entire village:
The vortex transports the Smurfs to modern-day New York City’s Central Park. They take shelter in a taxi and are eventually discovered by Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris), a marketing executive, and his pregnant wife, Grace (Jayma Mays). Patrick is under immense pressure to come up with a campaign for his demanding boss, Odile (Sofía Vergara), while Grace is sympathetic to the small blue creatures. The vortex transports the Smurfs to modern-day New
The screenplay by J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, and Jay Scherick hinges on a delightful piece of absurdity. In the enchanted Smurf Village, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) has finally pinpointed the Smurfs’ location. During a chaotic chase, Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Grouchy, Clumsy, and Hefty are sucked through a magical vortex (a "blue moon" portal) that spits them out in the middle of Central Park.
Suddenly, the Smurfs are not in a fairy tale; they are in the real world—specifically, the bustling, unforgiving streets of New York City. They take refuge in the apartment of a soon-to-be father, Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris), and his pregnant wife, Grace (Jayma Mays). As Patrick tries to launch a cosmetics campaign for the demanding advertiser Odile (Sofia Vergara), he must also help these tiny visitors build a "Smurf-O-Mizer" to track the lunar alignment needed to return home. Meanwhile, Gargalem and his mangy cat Azrael have followed them into our dimension, determined to extract their essence.
The Smurfs realize they need a "stargazer" (a telescope) to predict the next Blue Moon, which is their only way home. However, they have only a limited time before the moon passes.
The film received generally negative reviews from critics (Rotten Tomatoes score of 22%). Critics criticized the juvenile humor, the " toilet humor," and the unoriginal "fish-out-of-water" plot.