Some things just shouldn’t be messed with.

 

But with Hollywood’s penchant for picking up any old property or franchise worth its salt and regurgitating it (often haphazardly) for modern audiences at an all-time high, it was only inevitable that everyone’s favourite blue mischief-makers would make their 3D, CGI debut on silver screens sooner or later, for better or for worse.

 

Unfortunately, in the case of The Smurfs, it’s the latter, with this sloppy, lazy film failing on several fronts – not least their rendition of the lead characters, which fall well short of the lovable Smurfs of cartoon lore.

 

The story begins in a familiar fashion, with The Smurfs happy in their hidden mushroom village, preparing for the annual Blue Moon Festival.

 

The peace is soon shattered by The Smurfs’ long‑standing adversaries Gargamel (voiced by Hank Azaria) and his cat Azrael as they chase them across the forest, where the little blue critters stumble on a portal that transports them to New York City.

 

This is where The Smurfs falls down – taking the characters out of the familiar magic forest setting and placing them in a real life big city scenario is a big mistake.

 

The Smurfs could have carried the film on their own and I would have much preferred a classic adventure taken from the 1980s cartoon through the enchanted forest than a modernised romp complete with weak acting from Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays.

 

The youngsters probably won’t notice – especially those who didn’t grow up on a morning diet of The Smurfs during the ’80s and ’90s – and if you divorce the movie from its long-standing legacy, it does provide a few funny and sweet moments.

 

But it’s not a standout children’s film either, especially compared with some of the offerings of late. So all I was left with after the 102 minutes run time was a feeling of disappointment.

 

What could have been one of the best and most creative children’s films of the year turned out to be just another rushed Hollywood reboot that cares more about its product placement than making a film we can all chew on.

 

>> The Smurfs 3D is in cinemas nationwide today.