THE SMURFS: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2011)

Balladeer’s Blog’s Smurfteenth Annual Christmas Carol-a-Smurf is rapidly approaching its finale. But it ain’t over ’til the Smurf Lady sings, so we still have today and tomorrow to squeeze in a few more adaptations of Dickens Smurf’s classic from 1843 A.S. (Anno Smurfini). 

THE SMURFS: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2011) – I generally dread Smurfs productions, which is why I put off watching this Carol for so long. Happily this was a pleasant surprise, and I really enjoyed it.

This item runs just 22 minutes, which to me is the perfect running time for any story featuring the Smurfs. Their feature films run far too long in my opinion, but The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol comes and goes before a viewer can grow irritated with it.   

On top of that, it feels much more Christmassy than projects like Disney’s half-hour, soulless Mickey’s Christmas Carol from the 1980s. If you have children, this animated short is a quick and tidy way to spend some time sharing a viewing experience with them. 

TS:ACC starts out in computer animation, then switches to traditional 2-D animation before switching back to computer animation for the final minutes. Beautiful CGI starts out the story as Grouchy Smurf refuses to join in the Christmas festivities with the rest of the Smurfs.

Terrific renditions of Christmas decorations provide a marvelous backdrop as Yuletide appeals are made to Grouchy by other characters like Smurfette, Brainy Smurf and Handy Smurf (no comment). Unfortunately, Grouchy Smurf refuses to participate in this year’s festivities in any form, even giving up his usual token gesture of putting the star on top of the village’s Christmas Tree.

Papa Smurf concocts a magic potion to restore Grouchy’s Christmas Spirit, with the final ingredient being “Essence of Smurfberry.” The potion finds its way into Grouchy’s Smurfnog glass, putting him to sleep and making him receptive to the hallucinations that Papa Smurf has in mind. 

NOTE: Okay, that’s a tactlessly blunt way of putting it, but it IS what happens. The visions from the potion are presented in 2D animation.

TS: ACC features no Jacob Marley equivalent. We go right to Smurfette coming down Grouchy’s chimney and calling herself the Smurf of Christmas Past. I was hoping for the exchange “Long past?” “No, Smurf past” but no such luck.

This Christmas Ghost presents a long ago Christmas when Grouchy honored the holiday as the one day a year when he wasn’t unpleasant and patiently joined in the festivities. Unfortunately, Papa Smurf’s Christmas presents for all the Smurfs always being nothing but new hats every year is pushing Grouchy to the breaking point since he really wants a hang glider.

Not only is he thoroughly disenchanted by yet ANOTHER new hat from Papa Smurf, but when Jokey Smurf gives him a practical joke gift that explodes in his face, Grouchy goes ballistic. That was the Christmas that birthed his ever-increasing hatred of the holiday.

Now comes the Smurf of Christmas Present (Brainy Smurf), who shows Grouchy all the love and care that Papa Smurf puts into designing hats for each of the Smurfs. (Yeah, they all look so unique.)

He also shows Grouchy how his absolute refusal to put the star on top of the tree this year causes Clumsy Smurf to replace him in that task, and his ineptitude winds up starting a fire that devastates the village.

Hefty Smurf shows up as the Smurf of Christmas Future. He shows Grouchy a Christmas yet to come on which all the other Smurfs scour the forest for something to restore the irascible Smurf’s Christmas Spirit.

This causes them to wind up getting caught by Gargamel and eaten by him and his cat Azrael.

Back to computer animation for the finale, as Grouchy realizes the error of his ways and surprises all the other Smurfs with his joyful embrace of the Christmas celebrations this year. 

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol really won me over and I will probably watch it every year from now on.

FOR DOZENS MORE VERSIONS OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL CLICK HERE:   https://glitternight.com/category/a-christmas-carol-2/