Smurfs (2025), the newest effort to reinvigorate the beloved blue characters for the contemporary viewer, opened in the U.S. on July 18 to a cold reception and widespread fan pushback. The live-action animated musical fantasy comedy film, directed by Chris Miller and starring Rihanna as Smurfette, sought to bring the Smurfs back in an updated and musical incarnation.However, despite its star-studded voice cast and visual polish, many longtime fans of the franchise have voiced their disappointment, especially on platforms like Reddit."They really smurfed it up," shared one Reddit user.Fans react to the new Smurfs movie (Image Via Alcay)The film is criticized by many for having a too-fluffy plot, too-heavy use of musical numbers, and a lack of the heart and simplicity that defined the original cartoons and comics.Fans took to Reddit to voice their opinions about the new movie,"This movie represents everything wrong with the ongoing intellectual property-obsessed era of cinema. Fourth remake even after the previous three were already experiencing diminishing returns. Pop singer as the only female Smurf. Forced references to modern things like Zoom and video chatting to make the movie seem up to date," commented another user."Shoehorning in the whole “multiverse” thing is honestly desperate, pathetic, and so overdone at this point. You can practically hear one producer saying to another, “People love multiverses, right? Spiderverse, Dr. Strange… why not Smurfs?”" said another user."They did it again just a few years later with the animated The Lost Village and Demi Lovato as Smurfette," commented another user.Despite a high-profile premiere in Brussels on June 28 and a wide release by Paramount Pictures in July, it has only grossed 37 million globally, a modest figure for a major studio release with such a large ensemble cast. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMore fans continued to criticize the new movie."The entire movie is basically a retread of the awful live action movies, only worse. Pop singer playing Smurfette. Smurfs travel to "the real world". Papa Smurf is kidnapped," shared a Reddit user."The pointless celebrity cameos that they hype up in the trailers and posters when they barely show up for a few seconds," commented another Reddit user.What is Smurfs (2025) about? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostSmurfs (2025) features a new character, No Name Smurf, voiced by James Corden, who receives magical powers from a tome entitled Jaunty. His new powers inadvertently cause the kidnapping of Papa Smurf by Razamel, a bad wizard and brother to longtime nemesis Gargamel.In order to save Papa Smurf, No Name joins forces with Smurfette and a few other Smurfs, such as Vanity, Hefty, Brainy, and Grouchy, and goes on an adventure that crosses Paris, Munich, and even the Australian bush.Throughout the course of the story, the Smurfs meet many new friends and foes, including Ken, Papa Smurf's brother; Mama Poot, founder of the magical Snooterpoots; and a renegade coalition of intergalactic wizards.Razamel's scheme is to taint magical books so he can dominate the universe, with No Name ultimately taking on the guise of Magic Smurf to thwart him. The movie concludes with Razamel being exiled and Smurf Village achieving peace.It is a big reboot attempt; there were prior adaptations by Sony Pictures in the 2010s. This movie was going to revamp the tone and format of the series by blending live-action components with CGI animation and becoming a musical adventure.Rihanna not only provided the voice for Smurfette but also produced the movie and wrote original songs.The voice cast also features Nick Offerman as Ken, John Goodman as Papa Smurf, Sandra Oh as Moxie, and Natasha Lyonne as Mama Poot. Interestingly, JP Karliak does double duty playing both Gargamel and Razamel, with Dan Levy as Joel, their hapless henchman. Other voice talents include Amy Sedaris, Maya Erskine, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, and Kurt Russell.For the unversed, the new movie was released on July 18, 2025.