The Smurfs, 2011

The Smurfs, 2011
Director: Raja Gosnell
Cast: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays
slovene synchronisation: Janez Hočevar Rifle, Klemen Slakonja, Jure Mastnak, Tjaša Železnik, Jernej Kuntner






The Smurfs in short:
When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours -- in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.








Stage: local theatre, 3D show with one of my best friends that is truly mad of them. Unfortunately, only synchronized version is available in Slovenia (thumbs down!)














Preps: This was one of the cartoons I grew up with. Therefore I am more than curious how did the implementation to the stage (cinema wall) turn up. I expect to have fun and to laugh a lot, like I used to. I am not aware at this stage, that the game will be synchronized. Although all the cartoons we were washing were definitely synchronized in a way that you could die in laughter.














Reality: Uhm.. a huge dissappointment in the quality of translation. Let's leave for a moment at a side the fact that I didn't know it's going to be synchronized. And even if I did, I wouldn't have a choice. Seems that the only version available in theatres in Slovenia is a synchronized one. Bljak. Yuk. I hate sinchronizations, because they seldom reach the quality of original. Even though, in Slovenia there are several superb actors and superb voices that one can use in such cases. Sometimes I even see both versions, because the synchronized isn't so bad. All in all, I am grateful, that we are still remaining one of the normal countries, not raping the audience with synchronization overall - like in Italy, some eastern countries, etc.









This version is actually very good. I like the way the characters in blue are somehow a part of the movie and it seems pretty realistic. I am not surprised in the flow of the story, because it's pretty much predictable - up to the point where they leave for NY. Here some new horizons appear in their heads, obviously also vice versa - taking a normal human life and making some smurfs appear - and making it a reality - well, this could be a failure of the director.









In this case, I believe, a pretty decent job. Yes, the two characters are too mushy, too romantic, too much of Hollywood (especially at the ending). Could this be a subtle critic of the american system, where you can only survive on another planet, otherwise you get crushed by public, polititians, communists? It cannot be a coincidence that everything is happening in the Big Apple, because all the eyes of the world are staring at this cooking pot, waiting for some major bang to happen. Or could it just be one of the xxxth movie, filmed here, because it's just convenient. Or a free advertising for the big park, where the Smurfs appear.









The synchronized part of Gargamel is, opposed to other texts, like a different translator wrote it. Actually it's a very good one, all the other words that are used are .. well, childish. We can briefly have a look at some of the swearing words or words that express anxiety (slovene language has some really weird ones that noone uses anymore, except Grace in this movie; or Tjaša Železnik in this sense: Marička, Ježešna, etc) - cannot even dare to put this into english, because you cannot have a decent translation. But to hear this used makes me think that the audience is truly disrespected and treated as mere morons.









All in all, the movie has some pluses and rises above average. Makes me think of why it's made now and how does this interact with overall political situation in the world. Because it's pure europeans that are coming to NY (Smurfs have belgian roots), living in a deserted island, somewhere where they cannot reach reality - in this sense, do we reach reality, when we are dwarfs of americans? Some philosophical ideas to think about..














My personal rate: 6,0 (a good implementation of one of my favourites when I was young)














The Smurfs on IMDB

Big momma's house, 2000

Big momma's house, 2000
Director: Raja Gosnell
Cast: Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Paul Giamatti



Momma's synopsis: An FBI agent Malcolm Turner is going deep undercover as he disguise himself as Sherry Pierce's long-lost grandmother named Hattie Mae Pierce, aka Big Momma. And his latest assignment sends him to small-town Cartersville Georgia, where he is assigned to trap a brutal bank robber who they suspect will be coming down to visit his ex-girlfriend and her son, Trent. Now, Malcolm must somehow find a way to nab his criminal and the lady.


Stage: home TV selection (a really lazy evening and I needed something that smells like a comedy)


Preps: Once I remember seeing this, and I wasn't that thrilled, however, I needed some funny stuff so I was ready to choak or settle on something not so thrilling just to get some other things out of my head.


Reality: Worse than I remember. I remember at the time when this piece was created, there was this fame around Eddie Murphy and his sit-com's, his movies when he dressed up and his cast was cast of 8 actors (the nutty professor for instance is an example, from 1996). Anyhow, I got the feeling every person that considered himself as one of black really funny actors and resembled Eddie Murphy, wanted to do a piece that played around this topic. And of course, make big money out of the old idea - just for the sake of the argument, that crowd needs and loves such humour. Big momma's house is something like that. It has an unbelievable story, however, the make up and the dressing, resembling of big mommy by Martin Lawrence, is cute and in some cases, hilarious, funny so you could tremble and fall down. However, this is just in some cases and in some minutes of this movie.

These directors (that make such movies) and actors that are presented in this way, need to know that an old idea doesn't make a movie. And of course, not every actor can be like Eddie. Martin Lawrence is also a great comedian - I have seen some of his better times, and I remember Momma's house to be a big hit in Slovenia at the screening time. But I don't think that it's the type that would suit me. I don't like comedies that underestimate the viewer and this one, unfortunately, does just that.



My personal rating: 3,5 (I have seen more of my flat or refrigerator than this piece when watching it. Plus, the TV version makes you use the breaks they need for their commercials. Seriously, you won't miss a lot if you don't see it. However, there areat least a few really funny situations and some of the sit-com is really enjoyable.

Momma on IMDB