Smurfs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Smurfs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 14, 2025

Smurfs is another one of those franchises that, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, refuses to go quietly into the night, and for good reason. Like TMNT, there is lore aplenty here, interesting (if not intentionally one dimensional) characters, lots of room for fresh storytelling, and opportunities to push back a little against the grain, much as the Turtles did in their newest movie (and the accompanying TV show). Sadly, that is not the result with 2025's Smurfs. The film is a reboot of sorts for the franchise, following the 2011 film of the same name (sans "The") and its sequel, as well as the previous soft reboot. Smurfs is not particularly innovative, not particularly memorable, not particularly anything but watchable. It's perfectly serviceable for what it is, and it will charm children well enough, but it's hardly a beacon of hope for the franchise or the breath of fresh air that it was probably intended to be.

Four evil wizards, led by the nefarious Razamel (voiced by JP Karliak) wanted four good books that kept the universe at peace and in harmony for themselves so that they might sew disorder and chaos. But one of the four books, Jaunty Grimoire, got away. It was rescued by Papa Smurf (voiced by John Goodman) who has long kept the tome safe and secure in Smurf Village. There, all of the Smurfs perform the singular task they are best suited to serve, and they are named after that task. That is, all but “No Name Smurf” (voiced by Nick Offerman) who has yet to find his calling (literally). But when he happens to wield powerful magic almost by accident, he inadvertently produces a beacon that Razamel and his brainy henchman, Joel (voiced by Dan Levy), pick up and use to hone in on Smurf Village. And so begins a journey through strange new worlds to keep Jaunty safe and protect the universe from Razumel.

That plot summary doesn't even mention two of the most familiar characters in the franchise: Smurfette (voiced by Rihanna) and Gargamel (voiced by JP Karliak, who also voices Razumel). The film really pushes Rihanna's participation, even though Smurfette is really more of a secondary character in the film. She tags along, sings, offers some encouraging words...but this is really "No Name Smurf"'s movie. Gargamel is likewise relegated to second fiddle status next to the film's true villain, Razumel. I'll leave it for the movie to spill the beans on what's going on with those characters and how things turn out for each of them, because one of the things this film does do well is turn some expectations on their head. In fact, Razumel is a brand new character to the Smurfs universe, as are Ken (voiced by Nick Offerman) and Ron (voiced by Kurt Russell). Again, best to leave the movie to define their roles and relationships, but if anything I did enjoy seeing the movie innovate beyond the stock components and try to introduce some new characters and angles.

Otherwise, the movie feels fairly generic. The story adds some unique elements but plays out with a very familiar cadence that transports the Smurfs to various real-world locales, very similar to the 2011 film. But the live action elements are certainly more supportive of the story than a defining feature of it. The real-world scenes serve more as backdrops than centerpieces, allowing the animated characters and worlds to be more of a driving force. The characters look great, maintaining a core familiarity (there's only so much you can do with them and keep them Smurfs, unless you go this route...yeah...) while finding a few more splashes of color in the new characters, Ken and Ron, while also taking some time to explore what makes a Smurf, a Smurf. But aside from some of these more ancillary elements, the movie offers little more than a core sort of Smurfs experience; even Razumel really just falls into the Gargamel mold. He's shorter but he's otherwise the same villain with a different name. The animation is top-notch, clearly taking some notes from recent animated fare like Into the Spider-Verse, though it simply lacks the story chops to make a serious investment worthwhile.

Smurfs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Smurfs arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p presentation that is practically above reproach. The most obvious standout is the color expression. Colors explode off the screen with prominent vividness, especially, of course, those Smurf blues, but there's a lot of other bold and rich colors to explore as well. There is a very nice sense of tonal harmony meets potent color punch, yielding one of the most satisfyingly animated viewing experiences on the format. The picture is likewise tack sharp. The animated content is crisp with only a few imperfections, mostly visible when sitting too close to the screen. At normal viewing distances it holds tight, delivering stable lines and clear details in the animated realms. The same is true of the live action elements, too, where everything is super sharp and crisp for the duration. Black level depth is strong, white balance is perfect, and the image shows no source or encode maladies. This is a terrific presentation from Paramount.

Smurfs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Smurfs la-la-la-la-la-las onto Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The presentation rates as "excellent" for all components: fidelity, volume, clarity, and spacing. The track is wonderfully balanced, bringing every element into its proper place and offering some fun sound design cues (motorcycles traversing the streets of Paris, other throaty engine revs, and the like) as well as plenty of perfectly placed, precise, and potent sound elements that bring action details and environmental cues to life with equal definition and attention to fine detail. Music is rich and satisfying, whether score or Pop-y beats; the front channels handle the bulk, but there is no shortage of finely balanced surround content. Overheads are not used to the extreme for discrete elements, but the support is welcome and only adds to the total atmospheric experience. Dialogue is clear and centered for the duration.

Smurfs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Smurfs contains a few extras. No DVD copy of the film is included, but Paramount has bundled in a digital copy code. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Blue in the Booth: Voicing the Smurfs (1080p, 5:13): As the title suggests, this piece looks at the hard and high quality work the voice cast brought to the film.
• There's a Smurf Like Me: Blue, Old, and New (1080p, 4:05): Exploring the franchise's popularity, including the timeless importance that they are defined by who they are, not what they look like. It also looks at a few key characters and the actors' prep work for voicing them. Additionally, the cast discusses what they would do if they were really the size of a Smurf.
• A World They've Never Seen: Animating Smurfs (1080p, 5:22): Exploring the original comics from the 1950s, finding inspiration from them, and creating a look that is both new and grounded in the original content. The piece also looks at design choices meant to enhance the key narrative.
• Composing the Blue (1080p, 4:31): Exploring the score via Henry Jackman's work.
• In the Club with DJ Snake (1080p, 2:56): Making the disco club scene that takes place when the Smurfs arrive in Paris.
• Music Video (1080p, 2:57): "Higher Love" by Desi Trill featuring DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Natania and Subhi.
• Music Video (1080p, 3:30): "Friend of Mine" by Rihanna.

Smurfs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Smurfs is on one hand perfectly acceptable for what it is, but it's also very problematic as it is. The story lacks depth and novelty, the music is hit or miss, and the performances are as much wooden as they are lively. The film looks good, but it has that "been there, done that" vibe to it. I greatly prefer the 2011 film. Paramount's Blu-ray does deliver high quality video and audio paired with a decent smattering of extras. Worth a look.