Smurfs 2 DVD Review

My son Freddy is a big fan of the Smurfs.  He loved the first film and he loves the video games, and now he has The Smurfs 2 on Blu-ray!  We were sent a copy of this sequel  and enjoyed a family film night watching our favourite short, blue characters as they embark on an exciting adventure that takes them all the way to Paris!

Like the first film, Smurfs 2 is a mix of CGI animation and live action starring Hank Azaria and Neil Patrick Harris, both of whom give good performances.  The story sees evil Gargamel up to his old tricks and has kidnapped Smurfette as part of his plan to transform his latest creations The Naughties into Smurfs.  The Naughties, Hackus and Vexy are great characters, full of mischief.   We find out about Smurfette's back story and see a new side to the lovable girl Smurf voiced by Katy Perry.  Dim witted Hackus and his sister Vexy were Freddy's favourite characters who were involved in some of the film's funniest moments.

There are lots of visual jokes and slapstick comedy which is a big hit with Freddy who chuckles his way through.  There are also some genuinely quite moving moments regarding the sense of belonging and a message from Papa Smurf that we can all learn from:

"It doesn't matter where you come from, what matters is what you choose to be."

Smurfs 2 introduces a new character, Vanity, a Smurf with an Oedipus complex who adds to the laughs as the Smurfs attempt to rescue Smurfette and help her decide her fate and find her place in the world.  It's cute, a bit cheesy, funny, entertaining, easy to watch, touching and fun.  A great idea for a festive, family film which will keep the tiny tots entertained and give the grown ups a few laughs too. 

Bonus Features on the Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Include:

* Three Blu-ray exclusive featurettes:

o The Puurrfect Companion: Azreal’s Tail – See how Azrael was created, from the live-action cat to the digital double, and how actor Frank Welker brought the character to life.

o Evolution of the Naughties – Learn how the filmmakers designed the newest additions to The Smurfs, Hackus and Vexy.

o New Faces In Smurfy Places – Meet the new characters, Hackus and Vexy, and hear from actors Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove on what it was like to voice the Naughties.

* Smurf-O-Vision 2 App – Play Smurftastic activities with your favourite Smurfs and sync with the Blu-ray to unlock more fun

Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD Bonus Features Include:

* Deleted Scenes

* Two featurettes:

o Blondes Have More Fun: The History of Smurfette – Learn all about Smurfette’s “golden” past as we trace her origins back to Peyo’s stories, and how that in turn inspired the filmmakers as they were putting together this newest Smurf’s tale. Then, hear from Katy Perry on how she tapped into her inner Smurf to pull off the role in the voiceover booth.

o Animating Azrael – Discover how the filmmakers animated our favourite feline sidekick.

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THE SMURFS 2 has a running time of approximately 1 hour 45 minutes on the Blu-ray and 1 hour 41 minutes on the DVD, and is rated U.

Release date December 2nd 2013.

Smurfs 2 on the PS3

The Smurfs 2 is an Action-Adventure Platformer game from Ubisoft that follows the thrilling story of the second movie of the Smurfs. Players will take control of their favorite true blue heroes to succeed on their quest to rescue Smurfette from the evil Gargamel, immersing themselves in enchanting and interactive environments along the way. The Smurfs have to use all their skills to save the day.

Key Features:

Experience the Smurfs adventure just like they do in the movie whilst playing through 6 different worlds: Smurf Village, New York City, Spooky Woods, Mountains, Tropics and Paris.

Defeat 6 different boss battles including Gargamel, Azrael and the Naughties.

Play cooperatively with up to 4 players with 9 different playable Smurfs (4 starters and 5 unlockables) with one special ability per character including Freeze Potion, Super Pose, Exploding Gifts, Super Jump and Magical Floating.

Collect over 20 different Smurfs while succeeding in the different levels and take them to your Smurf Village HUB.

We were sent a PS3 copy of Smurfs 2 for the purpose of this review. Smurfette has been Smurfnapped by Gargamel and his new creations, The Naughties.  The friendly forest animals have been turned evil and the Smurfs have to bravely venture out from the Smurf Village using magic portals!  This game has instant appeal and 4 year old Freddy was able to navigate his chosen Smurf through the early levels, collecting berries, finding coins, freeing animals and using the special abilities.  It starts relatively easily and as the characters don't die (they just lose their berries if they have them), youngsters can progress without becoming too frustrated.

There are mini challenges to complete on each level which keeps the game play fun.  You have to complete each stage with a certain number of berries or free a certain number of animals etc. which makes it fun to go in and replay the levels to complete the challenges.  Finding coins helps to unlock the new Smurf characters, each with their own skills.  Different Smurfs will be able to do certain parts of each level, so to complete the game fully, players will have to go in again with their new characters.  It makes the longevity of the game better and gives young players a chance to replay early levels and hone their skills for the higher levels.

The game looks great and the music and dialogue is fun and entertaining.  The characters are very true to their movie counterparts and Freddy enjoyed spotting Papa, Smurfette, Brains, Clumsy, Vanity and the other Smurfs that he recognised from the first movie.

I really liked the 2D style gameplay as the big epic 3D games are just too difficult for myself and Freddy to navigate. It is not a multi-player drop-in/out game which is a shame as it would have made it easier for us to support Freddy when necessary and leave him to play independently at other times.  But saying that it's nice to play a good old co-op game together.

We are all really enjoying this game.  So far it is simple, straightforward and not overly complicated making it great for all ages.  The cut scenes are very sweet, telling the story of the game. They comprise of static pictures with narration in a storytelling mode and Freddy really enjoys them!

Pro-gamers will undoubtedly be able to complete the game very quickly and may find the gameplay too simplistic, but for kids, smurf fans and people like me who just want some light-hearted gaming fun, Smurfs 2 is a nice movie tie-in.

It is available now at Amazon and currently retails for £23.  Also available on XBox 360, DS, Wii and Wii U.