RIOTUS

Basically… No Name Smurf needs to find his thing. When it appears his thing is magic, a chain of events ensues that could allow Evil to take over the universe. The only thing standing against disaster is–the Smurfs.

No Name Smurf (James Corden) has tried nearly every possible “thing” on the official list; when the story begins, he’s down to making clogs or taming sharks. Needless to say, that doesn’t work out. Although kindly Smurfette (Rihanna) tries to boost his spirit, a walk in the forest finds him despondent–but not alone.

A magic book named Jaunty Grimoire (Amy Sedaris) overhears No Name’s plight and decides to lend a hand. Suddenly, No Name is able to throw blasts of magic and even learn the basics of casting spells… which no Smurf has ever done before. But when he cuts loose in Smurf Village, the evil wizard Razamel (JP Karliak) notices and sends an airship to capture the one responsible. He manages to take Papa Smurf (John Goodman), who knows Razamel and his cabal of evil wizards can enslave the universe if they get Jaunty (who turns out to be the one missing magic book from a set of four; when reunited, the wizards can, well, do evil wizard stuff unopposed. You know how it is.)

Left leaderless, the Smurfs follow a recording left by Papa Smurf that leads them to “Ken,” a mystery figure on the other side of a portal to Paris, France. Sure enough, Ken (Nick Offerman) is Papa’s brother, leading a team of Smurf commandoes. Papa never told his people that the Smurfs were made to keep the evil wizards from getting that last book, so Ken must lead the Smurfs to rescue Papa, with help from the fluffy Mama Poot (Natasha Lyonne) and… Gargamel (also JP Karliak), who has reasons of his own for allying with the blue heroes.

Ultimately, though, it will come down to No Name and Smurfette to figure out how to keep the book out of Razamel’s hands, save the day, and secure a great name for the only Smurf without one.

Directed by Chris Miller (not to be confused with Christopher Miller, who works with Phil Lord), the movie is fast-paced, engaging, and heartfelt, with just enough music breaks to put Rihanna and Corden to work (the songs are pretty good too). If you’ve never seen Smurfs–even though they’ve been around for decades–they’re small, blue, and live in an isolated, rustic (yet modernish) village where every single Smurf has a name that describes what they do: Brainy, Hefty, Baker, Clumsy, Worry… they’re all here (though the focus on No Name and Smurfette gives them relatively little screen time), along with plenty of newcomers (who mostly amount to one-off jokes).

Rihanna is cool and confident as Smurfette, who struggles with something of an identity crisis of her own, while Corden charms as No Name, a well-meaning fellow who just can’t find “his thing.” Jaunty, played by Sedaris, wants to help but isn’t sure how, while Offerman’s Ken is gruff but has a heart of gold (as if we didn’t know already). Goodman is at his steadfast, fatherly best, while a veritable who’s-who of voice talent brings their A game. And there’s a delightful cameo at the end, where the story of a “lost brother” gets closure.

This is straight up family entertainment from Paramount, suitable for all ages, with plenty of humor for the grown-ups. (One segment is an extended gag aimed at Marvel’s multiverse storytelling, which hits really well.) Clocking in at an hour and a half, there may be moments that will give kids shivers but nothing too scary, while giving them a show tune or two to hum on the way out of the theater.