Smurfs Are Back, like it or Not

In Junior High, my English teacher hung stuffed smurfs from the ceiling with tiny nooses. It was odd, disturbing, and refreshing. I didn't like a lot of TV, so his irreverent manner made me feel normal for a brief moment. This teacher's caustic style was exactly what I needed that year. I think back on that class often. The Smurfs on the other hand were just bizarre, and I never imagined them making a comeback.

Why the Smurfs?
In fact, I can't remember any of my friends liking the cartoon. When I heard a full-length movie was in the works, "Why?" was my first thought. I mean, my children had never even seen or heard of the Smurfs. The target audience, young children with no memories of the cartoon, did not seem to be the best marketing strategy.

Strategic infiltration
Quickly though, the Smurfs were popping up in stores, commercials, and even reality kids shows. The strange flashbacks of seeing the tiny blue creatures hanging from the ceiling came flooding back. The big name stars connected with the movie made it clear they were not playing around.

Ruthless
The full-length feature film was written by David Stern and David Weiss of Shrek 2 and Shrek 3, director Raja Gosnell, the man behind Scooby Doo and Slither, and then the long list of celebrities created a powerhouse that could not be ignored. Regardless if a kid goes to the movie because of Katy Perry or the hypnotic appeal of the little blue people, the theaters will be full. Definitely not as full as opening night of Captain America, but between the merchandise and movie, they pulled together a cash cow out of left field, or the eighties time capsule.

This is not the end.
Not only have the Smurfs weaseled their way into pop culture, they are not the last. Following on the heels of Alvin and the Chipmunks, Scoopy Doo and Yogi Bear, The Jetsons are coming to theaters near you soon, possibly followed by Tom & Jerry.

Lead Paint
The reviews so far have been poor, getting an average rating of D+ from the Onion's AV Club calling it "remarkably mirthless" and "thoroughly uninspired' and then Alonso Duralde of The Wrap says, "The Smurfs: a film that does for children's entertainment what lead paint does for children's toys."

Even with the dismal reviews, the Smurfs have an agenda. It has been said they are planning to turn it into a trilogy. Yikes, these tortuously moronic blue Smurfs are not going away. Tra la la la la la....the eighties are back, gag me.

Where is the originality?

More by Sylvie Branch:
Where the Wild Things Are Author Tells Parents to Go to Hell
Rango: A Philosophical Review of the Movie
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