These "The Smurfs" movies seem to be nothing more than one of those childish animated, live-action hybrid adaptations of classic cartoons/comics that are obviously made for cash-in and distraction for little(r) audiences, but this sequel kind of hooked me. There is something behind the story that might help this being a little more than another juvenile family fare. We're not expecting it to become deeper or darker, but the film would've think that kids need to earn better lessons or genuine heart in their entertainment other than just feeding them with endless slapstick comedy and pop culture references. The Smurfs 2 had some good potential, but the rest stays mediocre.
The existence of the film itself was never promising, it still centers in the real world even though there are better things to explore in their magical world. But there is a sense at the first act that may have an actual story to tell. The plot mostly concerns about Smurfette's true identity, if she really belongs to the Smurfs or go back to her origin as a Naughty. It's not really meant to be complex, but there would've been at least something that could fill the audience's heart. The best parts are when they are talking about its heartfelt themes, and that is a mild benefit for this film. However, the storyline is still kind of the same by throwing away plenty of childish gags. Aside of its family subtext, some subplots give each of the characters their own random situations. I presume they're meant for laughs, but they didn't go anywhere in the end. It's still a mediocre storytelling which outweighs the bigger picture.
Despite of its superficiality, the filmmaking is as energetic as it has always been. The director once again brings the film's cartoonish quirks, and the actors are having fun with their roles which also brings it to life. You can see that in Hank Azaria who seems really enjoying playing the evil wizard, Gargamel. The special effects are as good as it gets. I guess there isn't much else to talk about the technicalities.
There are things in The Smurfs 2 that could have worked, but the filmmakers stick to their usual way of entertaining kids. It's nothing new, but this sequel has a better message compared to the first movie, though how the film delivers it didn't actually help making the whole experience any satisfying or worth telling. In the end, I think children will mostly focus the cute stuff and the characters' random antics than the thematic stuff about family, because at all, those are what this movie is more interested in. Again, The Smurfs 2 doesn't look like it's destined to be a great film, but diminishing the premise that was set up in beginning can be a disappointment.
