Inside the Chaotic World of the 2025 Smurfs Movie: What You Need to Know Before Watching
If you’re curious about the new 2025 Smurfs movie, here’s a straightforward rundown of what to expect from this animated adventure featuring those iconic little blue characters.
- Character introductions with a huge cast of Smurfs
- Catchy reggaeton-inspired musical numbers
- Wild rollercoaster-style 3D sequences
- Magic books and multiverse hopping
- New creatures and celebrity voice cameos
- Visual style changes from animation to live-action and photorealistic CG
- A story about Smurfette and finding your “thing”
- Some humor for adults with a bleeped-out swear word
What Happens in the Smurfs Movie?
The movie kicks off with a lengthy montage introducing many Smurf characters like Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, and even some lesser-known ones like Sound Effects Smurf and Baker Smurf. Many of these characters barely get screen time afterward, and honestly, they can look pretty similar to each other.
Expect plenty of energetic musical numbers where the Smurfs face the camera and perform synchronized dances to surprisingly intense reggaeton beats. There are also classic swooshy rollercoaster moments, with the Smurfs zooming along rainbow ribbons through different dimensions — a nod to the 3D animation era.
Magic Books, Alternate Dimensions, and New Creatures
The story includes a prologue about four color-coded magic books that maintain peace and harmony in the universe. These books were stolen by evil wizards, but one, voiced by Amy Sedaris, is hiding with the Smurfs. The Smurfs then travel through various alternate dimensions, each animated in different styles such as claymation and anime.
They also encounter a new race of mischievous furry creatures called Snooterpoots, which weren’t really asked for but are now part of the Smurfs lore.
Star-Studded Voice Cast
The movie features an impressive lineup of celebrity voices including John Goodman, Nick Offerman, Kurt Russell (yes, Kurt Russell!), Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, and even viral DJ Marshmello as a tiny turtle Smurf. Marshmello’s role is a bit puzzling but adds to the star power.
Visual Style and Story Highlights
One of the movie’s quirks is its inconsistent visual style. Sometimes the Smurfs live in a fully animated world, other times they interact with live-action Paris, and there’s even a segment with photorealistic CG kangaroos, all with no clear explanation.
The plot focuses on Smurfette, played by international pop star and entrepreneur Rihanna, helping No Name Smurf, voiced by James Corden, discover his purpose and become a hero. There’s also a nod to Smurfette’s original backstory as a creation of evil wizards designed to tempt the Smurfs — a piece of classic Smurf lore.
For adult viewers, there’s a funny moment where a Smurf almost says the word “fuck,” but Sound Effect Smurf bleep-censors it, adding a little cheeky humor.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Smurfs feels like a random mix of common kids’ animated movie tropes, loosely tied together by free-association storytelling from scriptwriter Pam Brady and director Chris Miller. The animation is bland and stiff, and the visual design is all over the place. It’s not exactly meaningful and can sometimes feel mildly offensive if you think about it too much.
Still, it moves quickly and constantly changes shape, which might keep younger audiences entertained. In fact, a 6-year-old reviewer loved it. The film is out in theaters on Friday, July 18, so if you want to see the chaos for yourself, mark your calendar!
