Rihanna Lends Her Voice, But ‘Smurfs’ Falls Flat
Rihanna brings her star power to Smurfs, but this latest reboot offers little else beyond musical fluff and recycled jokes. A colorful but forgettable ride.
Introduction: Star Power Can’t Save the Smurfs
The Smurfs are back, and this time they’ve got Rihanna on board. But even her unmistakable voice and catchy soundtrack can’t lift this uninspired reboot out of its Saturday morning cartoon slump. Directed by Chris Miller, the latest animated Smurfs film feels more like a commercial obligation than a creative revival — a 92-minute kaleidoscope of color, noise, and hollow nostalgia.
A Blue Legacy: Revisiting the Smurf Phenomenon
First dreamed up in 1958 by Belgian cartoonist Peyo, the Smurfs (originally “Les Schtroumpfs”) have bounced around pop culture for decades. Most Americans remember them from the 1980s Hanna-Barbera series, where the tiny blue forest dwellers and their mushroom-top homes captured youthful imaginations.
Attempts to modernize the brand have had mixed results — from the early 2010s live-action hybrids to the lukewarm 2017 animated feature. With this new entry, Paramount seems to be betting that a splash of celebrity and a formula that worked for Trolls might finally stick.
What Happens in Smurf Village…
The story opens with Papa Smurf manning a DJ booth at a rave-like village gathering. We meet a new character — No Name Smurf — who, unlike his color-coded peers, hasn’t yet been defined by a single quirky trait. All that’s left on the naming roster? Clog Making Smurf and Shark Taming Smurf — a gag that’s more tired than it is funny.
When No Name Smurf discovers mysterious magical abilities, his confidence soars, but the power also unintentionally reveals the hidden location of Smurf Village and a legendary magical book. This artifact — one of four — holds the key to global domination if united with the others.
Enter Razamel, the sinister sibling of longtime villain Gargamel. The Smurfs are soon swept into an interdimensional quest to save Papa Smurf and prevent the magical tomes from falling into the wrong hands. The journey touches down in Paris, Munich, Australia, and even a moment of Claymation absurdity, attempting to inject whimsy but landing mostly as distraction.
Rihanna Sings in a Kangaroo Pouch (Yes, Really)
Rihanna voices Smurfette and contributes an original song, her involvement clearly intended as the film’s headlining draw. But beyond the brief novelty of hearing her sing from inside a kangaroo pouch, her performance — while solid — is underused.
Even with Hot Rod and Team America co-writer Pam Brady behind the screenplay, the humor rarely rises above forgettable. Adult viewers are tossed scraps in the form of tepid jokes about Zoom calls, LinkedIn profiles, and podcast culture. They fall flat, feeling more like obligatory nods to relevance than clever satire.
Public Reaction: Shrug-Worthy at Best
Critics and parents alike seem to agree — this version of Smurfs is mostly a harmless, passable distraction for younger kids, but a missed opportunity for meaningful or memorable storytelling. The film’s low ambition is apparent, built to occupy 90 minutes of screen time without challenging its audience — young or old.
There’s little here to spark fresh excitement about the franchise. As one critic wryly noted, “You can almost hear the intellectual property lawyers whispering the lines.” The film comes off more like a rights-preserving exercise than a heartfelt effort to reimagine the Smurfs for today’s audiences.
⚖️ Light Humor, Lower Stakes
Despite the magical McGuffins and multiverse chaos, the film’s tone never ventures far from that of a sleepy morning cartoon. The stakes are thinly sketched, the characters cardboard cutouts, and even the villain, Razamel, lacks the menace to make kids squirm or the depth to interest adults.
One of the film’s few redeeming traits is its visual palette — bright, polished animation that will entertain the youngest viewers, even as the story speeds by in a blur of glitter and generic gags.
Where Do the Smurfs Go From Here?
With its uninspired script and reliance on recycled ideas, this Smurfs reboot feels unlikely to launch a new era for the brand. It doesn’t sink to disaster, but neither does it soar — existing in a bland middle ground where children may giggle but adults are left checking their watches.
Unless future iterations bring sharper writing and deeper storytelling, the Smurfs seem destined to remain nostalgia fodder rather than reclaimed cultural icons. Rihanna did her part, but this village of blue creatures needs more than pop tunes and punchlines to matter again.
Conclusion: Blue, Bland, and Barely Memorable
Despite flashes of fun and a few musical highs courtesy of Rihanna, Smurfs is ultimately forgettable — a colorful parade of shallow storytelling and surface-level charm. It’s not offensively bad, but it’s not meaningfully good either. Just another IP resurrection that plays it safe and fades fast.
⭐ Rating: ★½ out of 4
MPAA Rating: PG (for action, mild language, and crude humor)
⏱ Runtime: 92 minutes
Starring: Rihanna (Smurfette), Directed by Chris Miller
(Disclaimer: This review is an original editorial interpretation based on publicly available information and does not include direct quotations from the original script or actors. All commentary reflects critical analysis and is intended for entertainment and informational purposes.)
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