By Blair Feller

We all have heard of those little magical creatures called Smurfs. And this summer, Columbia Pictures has given our generation a taste of these itty bitty blue creatures. This PG movie was directed by Raja Gosnell, who is known for once directing The Fantastic Four. This story begins in the happy life in the Smurf Village. Their days are filled with singing, dancing, and merrymaking. But there is one person who can really frighten a young Smurfling: Gargamel. This man is a wizard, like Papa Smurf (voiced by Jonathan Winters), but unlike Papa Smurf, Gargamel is evil and has set out to take the Smurfs’ magic and use it for his monstrous plans.

The Smurfs’ day we have entered suddenly turns upside-down. Gargamel follows a panicky Clumsy Smurf (voiced by Anton Yelchin) into the hidden Smurf village. Gargamel creates chaos in this merry world. Brainy Smurf, Papa Smurf, Gutsy Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Clumsy Smurf, and Smurfette get away from Gargamel by way of a magical tunnel inside a waterfall and the light of a blue moon. And of course, Gargamel follows them.

These creatures end up in a place we all know well: Central Park in New York City. Gargamel tries to capture the joyful creatures, but the Smurfs get away on the ceiling of a taxi cab. And they end up in the apartment of the Winslows. Patrick Winslow (played by Neil Patrick Harris) is an over-worked business man. He makes the designs for billboards for a beauty company. Grace Winslow (played by Glee’s Jayma Mays) is Patrick’s wife, and she is pregnant at the time of the Smurfs’ arrival. At first, these two different worlds clash. The stress of the Gargamel, along with Patrick’s consistently demanding job, doesn’t help anyone. Gargamel does find the Smurfs in New York, but Papa Smurf gives himself up to save the other Smurfs who are with him.

The remaining Smurfs decide to rescue their Papa. But they needed help—would the Winslows help the Smurfs? Would Gargamel finally get the Smurfs’ magic? Would there be a happy ending? I’m not going to give away the answers, so you’ll have to go see the movie!