The first images from the forthcoming live-action Smurfs movie have hit the web. Check out Hank Azaria as the evil wizard Gargamel.

ComingSoon.net posted several pictures yesterday from the New York set of the movie, one of which is below. For the others, head on over to their original post.

He’s almost a perfect match for the cartoon, isn’t he? Still, I don’t know what to think about this movie. The basic story is that our favorite little blue guys (Voiced by Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, George Lopez, Gary Basaraba, Anton Yelchin, Fred Armisen, John Oliver, Paul Reubens, Kenan Thompson, B.J. Novak, Jeff Foxworthy, Wolfgang Puck) stumble into a portal. Which takes them into Central Park in Manhattan where they meet a couple (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays) who help them thwart Gargamel’s evil plot.

Well I’m torn. I love the Smurfs but I don’t know whether this film is going to be another fun adventure or a catastrophic failure. Is anyone really looking forward to this?

Principal photography for The Smurfs kicked off on March 26 in New York. The film, based on the long-running cartoon franchise, is a mixture of animation and live-action.

In the Smurfs’ first adventure on the big screen, they are chased out of their village by the treacherous Gargamel and are transported into the middle of central park.

The movie stars Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays as a couple whose lives are turned upside down when they encounter the little blue guys. The Smurfs are voiced by a fantastic cast that includes Anton Yelchin as Clumsy Smurf, Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, Katy Perry as Smurfette, Alan Cumming as Gutsy Smurf, Fred Armisen as Brainy Smurf, and George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf. The cast is rounded off with Hank Azaria playing the evil wizard Gargamel.

In the director’s chair is Raja Gosnell whose previous filmography includes Home Alone 3, Scooby-Doo, and Beverly Hills Chihuahua with Jordan Kerner producing a script by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss and Jay Scherick & David Ronn. The story was written with the approval of Veronique Culliford, Smurf creator Peyo’s daughter.

Out of love for the series, I have to say that this still seems like a formulaic, uninteresting version of numerous other family films out there today. However, I still have hope that the talent involved can make this a fun new Smurfs adventure.

The Smurfs, a joint production of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, is due to be released in 3D August 3, 2011.

Year One wants it’s audience to believe it’s Agent Sands at the end of Once Upon A Time In Mexico. The film blindly fires it’s comedy at us, hoping things will hit us and evoke mountains of laughter. Why shouldn’t it? It’s directed by Harold “Egon” Ramis who’s done some decent comedy directing and is responsible for Ghostbusters and Caddyshack. The movie’s headlined by timid nerd Michael Cera, whom everyone adores, and Jack Black, who can be great when he wants to be. The talent is certainly there to make a fun, if useless, summer comedy. Yet like the aforementioned Sands, Year One misses just about every shot of comedy it unleashes.

Year One is terribly constructed together to the point where Ramis should feel ashamed he took part in it. Scenes start, climax, and then cut to the next scene without finishing the previous joke or giving us a clue as to what occurred. Picture sleeping with the chubby and ugly cheerleader and she leaves right before you both finish. Other, better films are guilty of this as well but they at least have the decency to mention what happened the next scene later. It leads into a point about the editing in this film, which is absolutely atrocious. Pieces are just slopped together, often times without any consistency. For instance, why does Jack Black’s hair change from black to blonde over the course of a scene? Editors Craig Herring and Steve Welch should do community service for what a sloppy job they do on this picture.

Nice, but mine are bigger.

Sloppy though, seems to be the keyword for this picture. The script by Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, and Lee Eisenberg is full of half-assed ideas that come from a History of the World Part I/Life of Brian double feature. Unlike those films, theirs lacks the consistency both comedy and filmmaking wise to be anything remotely decent. Perhaps they chose to set the film in a prehistoric age because that’s how all of their jokes feel. All of the “laughs” rely on dick and fart jokes which is going to appeal to anyone ten and under. Certainly the film gave me this vibe it was trying to appeal to a young audience but even then, the jokes are almost twenty years too late. Ramis’ direction, unfortunately, doesn’t do anything to elevate the material either. Presumably, he shot what was on page and did simple pointing and shooting. To paraphrase, the man did a lazy job with a sloppy script.

Jack Black and Michael Cera do make for a solid team though and play off of the other well. Likely it’s due to the fact both men are essentially playing themselves in caveman’s clothing. The flick does absolutely nothing to make you accept these two are playing different people other than dress them differently. Black though, seems to be doing a parody of his Po from Kung Fu Panda as he proclaims “I’m the chosen one!” His typical shtick is at play here though, so those turned off by him will find nothing to accept here. Cera tries with his timid nerd act that does work in spots. Seemingly, he’s the only one doing something in favor of the film rather than taking a meh attitude toward it. His low-key take is refreshing when you consider what everyone else in the film is doing.

The biggest of these offenders is not Hank Azaria but Oliver Platt as the High Priest. Normally Platt is enjoyable but here he’s repulsive, and not because his character calls for it. Platt’s character is implied to be gay, since apparently all priests in comedies have to be. Trouble is, it’s annoying, unfunny, and should make said homosexual priests feel ashamed. Azaria’s a different matter, as he interpreted his role of Abraham as Cap’n Abraham of the S.S. Choppin’ Skin. Every line is muttered like a drunken pirate leading one to think Azaria was a Captain Sparrow reject. Unlike his other recent history adventure, Azaria doesn’t bring the film down and does have the best line in the whole film. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is his son Isaac and while it’s impossibly hard to hate the kid, he’s essentially McLovin in different clothes. Vinnie Jones is Vinnie Jones, and Olivia Wilde makes for some really nice eye candy. David Cross portrays Cain and seems to pop in and out when the script needs him, while Paul Rudd feels all but wasted as Abel.

Year One is lazy, unprofessional filmmaking. Ramis is better than this, Apatow is better than this, even Jack Black is better than this. I keep reassuring myself the only reason Ramis did this was so we could get Ghostbusters 3. At the same time, he shouldn’t have succumbed to such a stupid, idiotic and retarded monstrosity of film. Much like it’s premise, Year One should be buried, ancient history when it’s all said and done.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. A sequel to a mildly amusing family adventure flick isn’t supposed to be funny, entertaining and easily the most delightful film seen this year, yet, despite nearly the same plot from its predecessor and most of the same jokes, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a blast. But please, the sequel to 2006′s mammoth hit Night at the Museum (it made over half a billion worldwide, not counting DVD sales), is world class summer fare, not to be confused with anything artsy or deep. Instead, its mayhem keeps its target in mind and presents not only silliness and an upsurd amount of witticisms, but a good dose of historical education to boot.

Getting their adventure on.

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is back, yet this time he’s successful. When his needless gadget company is booming, Larry is knee-deep in Blackberry calls and business suits. But the perils of success makes lovable Larry a sad sack. Lucky for him, his former posse made up of Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), mini Jed (Owen Wilson), mini Octavius (Steve Coogan) and the Huns and Neanderthals, are there to point it out. However, Larry’s absence in the museum has left the exhibits without an advocate, forcing them to be replaced with technologically advanced features like a buggy holographic President Teddy. The exhibits next stop? Buried in the Federal Archives -a basement- at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

Shortly before yet another late night business meeting, Larry receives a mysterious call from Jed screaming about Egyptian pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) coming back to life. Quickly, Larry embarks to D.C. and discovers what the ruckus is. As he soon learns, the Tablet of Akmenrah has brought back to life some of history’s greatest villains including Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Al Capone (Jon Bernthal) and Napoleon (Alain Chabat). With his friends in grave danger, Larry, alongside Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), works towards ridding the world of Kahmunrah before he unleashes his army of the dead. Sounds treacherous, but with a giant stone Abe Lincoln on your side, who can be against you?

While Stiller is in vintage form, easily the break-out performances are courtesy of Amy Adams and Hank Azaria. Adams, through her exuberant charm, makes any scene that is lucky enough to include her, instantly better. Azaria not only plays Kahmunrah hilariously, but pulls voice duty on The Thinker (who turns out to be a meathead) and Honest Abe, who turns Battle of the Smithsonian into his own playground. SNL funnyman Bill Hader as General Custer is humorous though, tragically for the notorious scene-stealer, winds up being more annoying that pleasant.

As fun as Shawn Levy’s film is, viewers can not escape the fact that in order to get the Smithsonian’s approval to film in the museum, certain measures had to be taken. Namely, it was turning the film into a giant advertisement. This pales in comparison to other features that blatantly showcase Coke cans in every scene or that every citizen has been assigned a Ford to drive. That aside, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is one fun drive through popcornville.

Movies like the film in question are pretty critic proof. What my review is for anyone over the age of ten is more of a survival guide even though I’m approaching it like I do every film. Kids are going to want to see it and most parents aren’t going to bring them to the latest action spectacle. It’s bigger than the first film, certainly throws in as many historical references as it can, and has two monkeys join in on slapping Ben Stiller around as opposed to just one. Night at the Museum: Part Deux is a family film through and through, and doesn’t care if the parents in the audience will know it.

For those parents, brothers, sisters, and whoever that will be dragged into this, you have someone you can enjoy who gets a fair amount of screen time. This woman (along with Cyclops) made a Disney film from two years ago much more enjoyable than it needed to be. Amy Adams lights up the screen with enough sass and spunk to create one of the best performances of the summer with her take on Amelia Earhart. The girl is really picking her battles well and it’s now time she gets more starring roles in bigger films as she could make Twilight almost bearable. She may very well be one of the best actresses working today as she seems to have an understanding on how to create characters and make them flow with the film. Assisting her is Bill Hader’s very fun take on General George Armstrong Custer. He’s shallow and dim-witted which is a nice change from what we’re used to seeing from him. Steve Coogan returns as Octavius and delights the screen with comedic nobleness that is really harmless. Coogan is becoming one of the forgotten comedic talents of the screen and he’s no different here.

Too bad most of the cast isn’t as interesting as the ones mentioned above. Ben Stiller can be golden, but he’s as lifeless as the statues that surround him in this movie. He shifts through scene to scene without any personality or charm. It’s rugged to see him against Adams in their romance scenes as she carries the both of them. A colleague of mine suggested he’s created a new persona in bland do-gooder and I have to agree with him. The worst offender is a man who normally isn’t this bad, and that’s Hank Azaria. He plays three roles in this as The Thinker, the Abe Lincoln statue, and the part I’m targeting, Kah Mun Rah. Every time he speaks one hopes a Spartan comes to life so he’s murdered in glorious Zack Snyder fashion (which the film actually parodies.) Partially it’s due to the film extending every joke to the point of annoyance, but Azaria thinks he’s a statue of Liberace than a would-be Pharaoh. He gets two of the three characters he plays so well, and mucks up the main one so terribly he should carry rocks for renovations to the pyramids. The rest of the players are serviceable, with Robin Williams return to Teddy Roosevelt being fine. Owen Wilson is in Shanghai mode here, which isn’t bad while Ricky Gervais does a decent if stereotypical of the museum owner.

The movie is billed as a family comedy and it’s disheartening to say that for the adults much is left to be desired. There’s a silly gag involving Ben Stiller’s Larry Daley touching, talking and stealing one of his friends to the annoyance of Kahmunrah. It garners some chuckles at first but it overstays it’s welcome much like an unnecessary bit involving everyone BUT Ben Stiller catching onto Amy Adams being infatuated with him. The other jokes are just a lot of been there, done that seem to be in every single family comedy released. Really though, it’s not worth analyzing as is the supremely numb story that’s present. Yes, the film is what it is and it shouldn’t matter but this makes no bones about it’s predictability and sending everyone home happy. Although I do admit, the end of the movie is pretty interesting to the least. Being fair, director Shawn Levy and writers Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant don’t do terrible work with this picture. They just don’t do anything memorable or exciting to engage the older patrons.

The film is marketed towards kids and on that account it gets the job done. For the adults, only the beautiful Amy Adams the reason they’ll be able to make it out of this one unscathed. The overall film isn’t anything atrocious and it does it’s job well to please the families. This isn’t a movie one can hate and call it the worst piece of poop to ever happen to the galaxy and the kids will be entertained at the very least. On that note it’s a harmless film and a success, albeit it fails to have any life of it’s own just like the statues that embody the halls of the Smithsonian.

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

Night at the Museum 2 or Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian is a movie for all of you out there. Ben Stiller stars again as Larry Daley, the night watchmen we have all come to adore and laugh at. The hilarity ensues with the likes of Amy Adams, Hank Azaria and Jonah Hill. For all of you Jonas Brothers fans, keep your eyes and ears open!

Mild Spoilers below:

The film opens with a tacky infomercial plugging a new invention. One of the now very well off Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), and the ever crazy George Foreman. Larry has made it big and is about to make it bigger due to Walmart being interested in his inventions.

We come to realize that even though Larry looks like he has moved on with his new spot as CEO, he hasn’t. His monthly trips back to the museum prove to be a side of him he can’t let go of. This is where the story takes form and really starts to grow on you.

End Spoilers

Who Goes There?

While this movie is not a movie that will win any awards, it is a great movie for all ages. The laughter garnered by the film will attract a lot of viewers, along with the great cast. Stiller and crew will win the hearts of the origin

Stiller, Adams, Williams and the encore cast put in a performance much better than in the first film. The acting is better, the jokes are better, the plot, the stage, the sites, the sounds…all better. As my interview with writer Robert Ben Garant pointed out, it needed to be better, Rob had said “Ben Stiller is the boss, and he said make it funnier, so we did our best”. Well they did just that. The action, the sequences between Azaria and Stiller, the exchanges between Adams and Stiller were all great.

Night at the Museum 2 or Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian, is nothing but true fun. If you enjoyed the first film, you will enjoy this one even more!

Rating: ★★★☆☆