# Does anyone literally think The Smurfs 2 is a good idea **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2013, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058 "2013-08-01T06:52:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/21 "2013-08-01T15:33:29Z")
The use of the word “literally” in the thread title is what seals it. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/22 "2013-08-01T15:37:43Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Having said that, I would watch a Smurfs movie if it was a fantasy adventure in an enchanted forest starring Peewit and Johan, instead of being a stupid exercise in predictable anachronistic humour set in modern day New York. Not much hope of that. I wonder though … have the actual Smurf stories ever been animated, or other the Johan and Peewee stories for that matter? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/23 "2013-08-01T15:41:26Z")
Hank Azaria was on the Daily Show last night with John Oliver to promote his new movie _Lovelace_. Apparently both of them also have roles in Smurfs 2. They discussed this fact extremely sheepishly, acting as if it were something to be deeply ashamed of. I got the feeling that neither of them thought the movie was a good idea, although apparently they both took the money. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/24 "2013-08-01T18:00:38Z")
I am excited for this movie. I loved the first one and I’m happy that a third might be made. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/25 "2013-08-01T18:20:09Z")
Go home and sleep it off, then tell us what you think. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/26 "2013-08-01T19:14:45Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I am excited for this movie. I loved the first one and I’m happy that a third might be made. yeah - not exactly an un-biased opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/27 "2013-08-01T19:27:39Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > The other day I heard some self righteous jack ass on the radio complaining about the sexualization of children’s movies. > > He cited as an example, The Smurfs 2. (He had a problem with the Naughties in particular) Um, yeah, I’m not really getting “the sexy” vibe from the Smurfs movie, dude. I think you have issues. Sounds like someobdy recently discovered Rule 34 images and is confusing that with the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/28 "2013-08-01T19:32:29Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Hank Azaria was on the Daily Show last night with John Oliver to promote his new movie _Lovelace_. Apparently both of them also have roles in Smurfs 2. They discussed this fact extremely sheepishly, acting as if it were something to be deeply ashamed of. I got the feeling that neither of them thought the movie was a good idea, although apparently they both took the money. Hank Azaria has nothing to be ashamed of. His Gargamel was very Gargamelish. (Yes, I also have a kid that dragged me to that movie). Didn’t see John Oliver in it. On edit: ah, he did a voice. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/29 "2013-08-01T19:45:56Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Hank Azaria has nothing to be ashamed of. His Gargamel was very Gargamelish. (Yes, I also have a kid that dragged me to that movie). Didn’t see John Oliver in it. On edit: ah, he did a voice. Oliver voiced Vanity Smurf. Can’t help but think that they didn’t dare to go full femme for the voice, so they went for an English accent because, well, close enough. Hazaria is spectacular. So, so good. The first one was terrible in almost everything except him. The hatred in his eyes when talking to a blue gnome or a CGI cat, the way he made funny and entertaining even the most criminally written piece of dialogue, and gave some slapstick performances that would make Buster Keaton weep. It was- and everybody here will think I’m kidding, but I’m honest to god serious.- an Oscar-worthy performance. Those of you dragged this weekend to a crappy attempt at selling merchandising with very little regard for telling an actual story, take solace in that you are going to see a master Thespian at the top of his game. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/30 "2013-08-01T19:47:36Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > The other day I heard some self righteous jack ass on the radio complaining about the sexualization of children’s movies. > > He cited as an example, The Smurfs 2. (He had a problem with the Naughties in particular) Um, yeah, I’m not really getting “the sexy” vibe from the Smurfs movie, dude. I think you have issues. > > Anyway, I have no desire to see this movie but I will say the previews look like an improvement over the first one. You obviously are unfamiliar with Smurfette. > [@AaronX](#): > > This is what I thought. The same people who watch this type of movies. Yes, 8 year olds. ETA the first one( and probably this one ) was like Citizen Kane compared to a lot of straight to DVD movies that are put out for kids. And 5-8 year olds love them too. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/31 "2013-08-01T19:48:07Z")
I’m trying to think what was the equivalent 20 years ago. A string of disney musical blockbusters. Kid movies starring kids exclusively like Home Alone, Richie Rich, Blank Check, Kid in King Arthur’s court, Sandlot, the Rookie, Heavyweights, etc. Animal movies like Air Bud, Homeward Bound. The Brave Little Toaster and the Land Before Time. Hah, and I had almost forgot the Tony Danza vehicle: The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon. I might be the other spectrum of bias opposite **Drunky Smurf** but I’d much prefer those movies to the CGI movies of today. Some of those Disney songs are serious works of art. Those kids movies were cheesy and unwatchable if you weren’t indoctrinated at that age, but at least they were cheap. And the rest? The screenplays were original and even if they spawned sequel after sequel after sequel, you have to admire the balls to step forward making a movie about a talking toaster. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/32 "2013-08-01T21:55:05Z")
I just don’t get why the Smurfs need to be in the real world, amongst humans. That’s just not what they were about. That’s what made the movie feel dumbed down to me–as if kids can’t enjoy anything not set in the real world. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/33 "2013-08-01T22:09:19Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I blame the _Alvin and the Chipmunks_ movies. And the _Garfield_ movies. I just checked Wikipedia. The three Alvin movies grossed a total of 1.1 billion dollars. The last one grossed 343 million, so of course there will be a fourth. I’ve spent time with small children (not my own) and there is a market for innocuous, kid-friendly films. Ideally, there are actual good movies for them to watch and ideally the kid-friendly film has something to appeal to the adult taking them to the theater. That, of course, is not always the case. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/34 "2013-08-01T22:20:47Z")
It took me a while to recognize John Oliver as Vanity. His voice was really toned down and it didn’t really sound like him. He’s joked a lot about the Smurfs on his podcast The Bugle. I took my daughter last night and she liked it. I thought it was boring, as I do of almost all the things she likes. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/35 "2013-08-01T22:27:48Z")
Well not _literally_ of course. :o That would be a little silly and I think everybody here knows that. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/36 "2013-08-01T22:39:19Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Hank Azaria was on the Daily Show last night with John Oliver to promote his new movie _Lovelace_. Apparently both of them also have roles in Smurfs 2. They discussed this fact extremely sheepishly, acting as if it were something to be deeply ashamed of. I got the feeling that neither of them thought the movie was a good idea, although apparently they both took the money. On this Daily Bugle podcast, John Oliver has been unabashed in his bashing of the movie despite not having seen it and quite open in his willingness to be paid to make bad movies. He also enjoys jokes at the expense of The Love Guru. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/37 "2013-08-01T23:21:20Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I always wondered when they make these live action movies of classic cartoons (Flinstones, Alvin&Chipmunks, YogiBear, ScoobyDoo, Smurfs, Casper, etc. etc. etc.) why they do it in the first place or who they’re marketing it to? > Any kid you ask will prefer to see the actual cartoon and not a live action version of it. So why make them? Is it to appeal to adults? > Mom & Dad will drop $20 to take the kids to see a live action version of the Jetsons but they wouldn’t drop the same $20 to take them to see a feature length cartoon of the Jetsons even though the kids would probably prefer it? And on the other hand, you seem to never get to see live action versions of current cartoons. I’d go see a live action movie based on _Futurama_ or _Family Guy_ regardless of how bad of an idea that is. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/38 "2013-08-02T00:28:01Z")
I liked the Smurfs as a kid and so was looking forward to the first movie as a nice bit of nostalgia made photorealistic. I liked the visuals and it was very well cast, but I didn’t enjoy the premise of them being in our world. I guess the second one is more of the same so that’s kind of disappointing. I’d like to see one if they were back in their own village for most of the film. An adaptation of King Smurf or Astrosmurf would be sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/39 "2013-08-02T01:20:22Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I just checked Wikipedia. The three Alvin movies grossed a total of 1.1 billion dollars. The last one grossed 343 million, so of course there will be a fourth. [Not with David Cross, though. As dumb a movie it is, he says the third one was his worst experience in entertainment.](http://www.avclub.com/articles/david-cross-calls-alvin-and-the-chipmunks-chipwrec,66562/) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058/40 "2013-08-02T01:30:40Z")
Remember that a lot of the development cost for a CGI movie is creating the characters in the first place. Once the data’s in the computer, additional animation is comparatively cheap and easy. An analogous principle applied to traditional animation, where the animators underwent a “learning curve”, after which they could draw the characters faster than when they first started out. Sort of like creating a custom tool and die for a machinery part- once the sunk cost is payed, the marginal cost of reusing the die is a lot less. So if the first movie is a success, there’s little reason not to continue an animated franchise as long as it can still make money. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-literally-think-the-smurfs-2-is-a-good-idea/665058.md?page=3)