Columbia Pictures
Starring: Rainn Wilson, Frank Welker
Directed by: Kelly Asbury
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Smurfette spies a mysterious-looking Smurf near the Forbidden Forest and is joined by Hefty, Brainy and Clumsy (not to mentioned followed by Gargamel) to uncover a lost village of other Smurfs.
Cartoon Cat: The latest entry in the Smurfs franchise returns to a strictly animated format with no live action involved. Hence the Smurfs, as well as Gargamel and Azrael, are animated characters, albeit in a 3D model. The pair are joined by a bird this time named Monty, who bears some resemblence to the Howlibird from the animated series.
As usual, Gargamel is trying to capture the Smurfs and is continuously berating Azrael, even when he is trying to help the wizard.
In turn Azrael continues to roll his eyes and mock Gargamel, also laughing out loud at him when he encounters misfortune.
When they capture Smurfette she is hiding the hat from the strange Smurf she had seen. Gargamel tries to get it from her but Azrael manages to snag it, only to be left hanging when Gargamel refuses to high five him.
Gargamel continues to ignore Azrael’s input and suggestions, only to take credit for them moments later.
Azrael is startled to find a patch of fur missing when Gargamel uses cat hair in one of his potions.
In the Forbidden Forest, Gargamel and his sidekicks encounter some lively plants. Azrael has no trouble boxing with a flower and then helps scare other flowers away from Gargamel.
They encounter the Smurfs as each group tries to reach the Lost Village first.
On some roaring rapids, the bad guys fall into the water. The Smurfs debate about going back to help them.
Deciding to do the right thing, the Smurfs help Gargamel, Azrael and Monty, only to be thrown off their own raft by the baddies.
Unfortunately after some trial and tribulation Gargamel does find the new village after the Smurfs do and Azrael attacks.
Having captured the Lost Village inhabitants, Azrael tries to alert Gargamel when the Smurfs attempt to escape.
Azrael tries to reach them but just ends up getting knocked out. Needless to say the Smurfs live to see another day.
There is also a cute during-credits segment with Gargamel berating Azrael and telling him, among other things, that he’s not the cat’s father.
Frank Welker was the only cast member from the previous two theatrical releases to reprise his role in this film, that of voicing Azrael.
Final Mewsings: Azrael really needs to find a nicer owner.
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