Almost everyone has some knowledge or memory of the Smurfs, even if it is simply the “La la, la, la la la sing a happy song,” tune. There, now you will probably be humming that all day, remembering wearing your pj’s and eating bowls of cereal in front of the television on Saturday mornings, right?
The creation of the artist Peyo, the tiny blue Smurfs took Europe by storm and then made their appearance on American television in the 1980’s. The popularity of the adventures spawned numerous products and toys that are still delighting collectors. Smurf has even made its way into our everyday language usage, as electricians wire homes using “smurf tube” of various dimensions but always that distinctive blue.
The Smurfs have come to DVD in Volume 1 of what promises to be a popular series for both kids and collectors. If by some strange circumstance you don’t know what a Smurf is, or in this case WHO the Smurfs are, they are tiny blue human like creatures that inhabit a village in a fairy tale forest.
Their homes are adorable mushroom dwellings, fitted with all the tiny smurf-sized accessories one could imagine, and they have names to indicate their characters. Led by Papa Smurf, the village elder, we have Brainy Smurf the smartest (at least in his opinion), Clumsy Smurf, Tracker Smurf, Scaredy Smurf and the only girl Smurfette, to name just a few. There are human friends Johan and Peewee who sometimes make an appearance either aiding the Smurfs or asking for their help.
And as in every good fairy tale there are the villains, the evil wizard Gargamel and his companion the cat Azreal. In spite of the cannibalistic tendencies of Gargamel (Azreal may be excused for his tastes, as he is a cat) who is frequently trying to catch Smurfs for a meal, the evil is clearly defined, and the bad guys at times even generate some sympathy.
The Smurfs, Vol. 1: True Blue Friends is presented on a single disc containing five adventures. These are S-shivering S-Smurfs, Turncoat Smurf, The Smurf Who couldn’t Say No, The Haunted Castle, and The Black Hellebore. Each of these stories are filled with the beautiful animation of the series, the humor of the characters and a good lesson in human relations!
The Smurfs are individuals, but they must work as a team to survive. Not everyone gets along all the time, and Papa Smurf is often called upon to intervene and provide wisdom to make a situation work. There are over 90 minutes of playing time in the episodes, and there is a nice bonus with “Meet the Smurfs” where the audience can enter the village, meet the characters and enjoy trivia and other treats. The subtitles are available in both English and French.
Treat your children and yourselves to the wonderful fairy tale world of the Smurfs!
The Smurfs, Vol. 1: True Blue Friends is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
Your Talkback on this Story