The Smurfs 2 - In Theaters Now!

Disclosure: Our family receive complimentary tickets to the screening.

The Smurfs 2 (Rated PG) is now in theaters, and our family recently attended an advance screening of the movie.

Synopsis:
In this sequel to the hybrid live action/animated family blockbuster comedy The Smurfs, the evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants — and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs — Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world’s greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus – or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

The Smurfs 2 focused on Smurfette, who would get a horrible nightmare each year near her birthday about where she came from.

After she is Smurf-napped to Paris, where Gargamel resides and performs as a world-famous sorcerer, she starts to rethink her place in the world as a Smurf.  She slowly begins believing that her real family consists of the Naughties, which Gargamel created to help him with his evil plan  - a plan to get the secret formula for turning into a blue Smurf in order to capture more Smurf-essence, and eventually rule the world.  

Meanwhile, Papa Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity Smurfs, along with Patrick, Grace and Patrick's stepdad, Victor, try to rescue Smurfette before it's too late.

I thought the story of The Smurfs 2 was interesting.  There were a few clever and funny moments throughout the movie, and Hackus brought a lot of comic relief whenever he was on screen, but overall it seemed as if the laughs were a bit too predictable.

I also thought the story was drawn out a little too long, but my kids seemed to be entertained throughout the film.

There was a lot of fun special effects and crazy hijinks in The Smurfs 2.  My youngest (2-year old) loved all of Gargamel's tricks and thought it was hilarious when Azrael turned into a gigantic cat, or when Patrick's stepdad turned into a duck.  My older kids thought a scene in a candy store was very funny, and they also thought the Big Wheel rolling throughout Paris was pretty cool.

Overall, I really liked the moral of the story - about how "it doesn't matter where you came from...what matters is who you choose to be."  And although I expected the movie to be funnier, my kids enjoyed watching the Smurfs on their adventure in The Smurfs 2.