Review: The Smurfs “Smurf Your Seat Belts/Leaf It Alone”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

When Handy and Storm discover Gargamel’s plan to make Azrael fly, they build their own flying machines. When a pest ruins the sarsaparilla harvest, the Smurfs encounter Gargamel’s plan to lure them to his field.

Our Take:

Do you remember the phrase “when pigs fly”? Well, by the time you finish this week’s episodes, you’ll be saying “when Smurfs fly”, or was it “when cats fly”? Either one sounds good now that I think about it. These episodes see the titular characters attempting to soar above the clouds and dealing with some garden-ruining pests.

The first episode, “Smurf Your Seat Belts”, takes the Smurfs to new heights with their flying machines. The story sees Handy and Storm discovering Gargamel’s plan to use a magical amulet to make Azrael fly so he can easily find Smurf Village. The two Smurfs decided to create their own flying machines to distract Gargamel and Azrael while Papa and Willow figure out a way to break the amulet’s spell. The episode follows the classic formula of the Smurfs foiling Gargamel’s plan, which is one of my favorite elements of the franchise, and it’s delightful because of it. It not only provided some entertaining moments like the air battle between the Smurfs and Azrael, but it also showcased Handy and Storm putting aside their differences to defeat Gargamel’s flying pussycat. It’s a suitable depiction of the importance of working together. The best part of the episode is when Gargamel constantly fails to catch Azrael.

The second episode, “Leaf It Alone”, featured another round of Gargamel slapstick. This time, the evil wizard sends caterpillars to eat the Smurfs’ sarsaparilla harvest so he can lure them to his own sarsaparilla garden. Papa Smurf learns about this and gives Gargamel the taste of his own medicine by sending the caterpillars to eat everything in his house. While not as action-packed as the previous episode, “Leaf It Alone” was another amusing “Smurfs vs. Gargamel” storyline that represents the Smurfs’ obsession with sarsaparilla and its decent slapstick from the characters.

Overall, this week’s episodes of The Smurfs focused on one of the elements that made the previous iterations so endearing. That element is the Smurfs ruining Gargamel’s idiotic plans. The result is another batch of humorous storylines that are also suitable trips down memory lane, especially for viewers who grew up with the franchise. Hopefully, we’ll see more of this charming formula in the future.