Decline of entertainment?

[Drtooth]

In addition to the plot and setting of the Smurfs movie (yes, yuck to them) and the whole CGI (yuck - leave them animated without CGI) and live action mix (what is going on?) my main problem is the lack of respect and/or decency of the Smurf Movie people to ask the original Smurf voices still among us. They always seem to have to cash in by using film and TV actors instead of voice actors. But if we accept that, (as most have, I know) then George Lopez and Jeff Foxworthy aren't a problem for me. Their usual style, or nationality doesn't mean they can't do the roles right.

Not to correct you, but they DID manage to get Johnathan Winters back, even though he plays Papa Smurf and not Grandfather Smurf. I hope they at LEAST got some of them back to play minor Smurfs. But other than George Lopez (I'm cutting Jeff Foxworthy some slack, as he's playing Hefty and that sort of fits) I really don't think that's the dealbreaker as much as the plot and what i fear will be the tone.

 

[frogboy4]

"Set in the Middle Ages, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) discovers the Smurf's village and chases them into some woods. The Smurfs get scattered and Clumsy Smurf (voiced by Anton Yelchin) wanders into a "forbidden" grotto and some of the other Smurfs follow. Since it's also a blue moon, a magical portal within the grotto transports them into Central Park in New York.[3] They take shelter with a married couple (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays) and try to find a way back to their village before Gargamel finds them."

I don't really have a problem with that storyline. They're trying to launch a series and this is an establishing film. It's something that could happen in the Smurf Universe and it's basically the classic plot of Gargamel tracking the Smurfs. It will still show the Smurf Village framing the story and New York's Village in between. It's not my first choice for a story, but it's a sure-fire way to connect with the young audience. Audiences are given too much credit sometimes and I can't blame Sony for taking this easy route of including the familiarity or NYC to connect newbies to the Smurfs. Future films could be in the Smurf Village if this movie takes off...and it's likely to do just that. Let's hope the rest will be well written. I don't see this "UnderDogging" so far. Time will tell.

What offends me is the use of George Lopez...in anything. The dude is just not funny. I'm even more displeased with his voicing of Speedy Gonzales for an upcoming film. He's all wrong for that part except for his accent. Speedy is young and spry, not angsty and lethargic like Lopez. He'd be better cast as Slowpoke (if they actually include that stereotype character in the new project). Is Lopez even popular anymore?

 

[Yorick]

Not to correct you, but they DID manage to get Johnathan Winters back, even though he plays Papa Smurf and not Grandfather Smurf. I hope they at LEAST got some of them back to play minor Smurfs. But other than George Lopez (I'm cutting Jeff Foxworthy some slack, as he's playing Hefty and that sort of fits) I really don't think that's the dealbreaker as much as the plot and what i fear will be the tone.

Agreed! I've called Jonathan Winters the only great aspect about it that I know of (no offense to the other people involved - just that I want originals in it, and Jonathan Winters, in general, is the man!) And I guess they removed Grandpa from the story - so, since Papa Smurf's original voice (the AMAZING Don Messick!) has passed, Jonathan Winters (also AMAZING!) shall be him.

Also, I like your cameo idea for some originals. At least it would be something, which is better than nothing. Maybe some voices from "The Smurfs and the Magic Flute" could join too

"Set in the Middle Ages, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) discovers the Smurf's village and chases them into some woods. The Smurfs get scattered and Clumsy Smurf (voiced by Anton Yelchin) wanders into a "forbidden" grotto and some of the other Smurfs follow. Since it's also a blue moon, a magical portal within the grotto transports them into Central Park in New York.[3] They take shelter with a married couple (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays) and try to find a way back to their village before Gargamel finds them."

I don't really have a problem with that storyline. They're trying to launch a series and this is an establishing film. It's something that could happen in the Smurf Universe and it's basically the classic plot of Gargamel tracking the Smurfs. It will still show the Smurf Village framing the story and New York's Village in between. It's not my first choice for a story, but it's a sure-fire way to connect with the young audience. Audiences are given too much credit sometimes and I can't blame Sony for taking this easy route of including the familiarity or NYC to connect newbies to the Smurfs. Future films could be in the Smurf Village if this movie takes off...and it's likely to do just that. Let's hope the rest will be well written. I don't see this "UnderDogging" so far. Time will tell.

What offends me is the use of George Lopez...in anything. The dude is just not funny. I'm even more displeased with his voicing of Speedy Gonzales for an upcoming film. He's all wrong for that part except for his accent. Speedy is young and spry, not angsty and lethargic like Lopez. He'd be better cast as Slowpoke (if they actually include that stereotype character in the new project). Is Lopez even popular anymore?

I don't know enough of George Lopez's work to agree or disagree, but I agree with your take on the Smurf plot! Also, I'm surprised a Speedy Gonzales movie is coming. I remember when they stopped showing him on Nickelodeon all of a sudden, due to complaints or something. But I always liked the Speedy cartoons - especially ones with Daffy (all of them?)...

 

[Drtooth]

Also, I like your cameo idea for some originals. At least it would be something, which is better than nothing. Maybe some voices from "The Smurfs and the Magic Flute" could join too

You know... funny thing about the Magic Flute movie. It didn't do so well in the states, but that's because it basically was a dub of a movie that was almost a decade old by then. And Hanna Barbera had no involvement with the dub. So considering it was a project that was made before the advent of the American series, it was disconnected. Apparently, there was a 90 minute movie made by Hanna Barbera that had to be broken up into episodes because they couldn't get it into theaters. Dunno if it was released on DVD uncut or shown as a special (like The Good, The Bad and the Huckleberry and other HB movies).

But I doubt that could happen. Most of the people involved with that dub were non-union dub artists. Cam Clarke was the only one who crawled out of that to become something (Mainly Leonardo the ninja turtle)

Also, I'm surprised a Speedy Gonzales movie is coming. I remember when they stopped showing him on Nickelodeon all of a sudden, due to complaints or something. But I always liked the Speedy cartoons - especially ones with Daffy (all of them?)...

That's a special case that needs an explanation. It was Cartoon Network to be precise. When you actually know what happened, it was insane. A bunch of uptight Caucasians who were afraid of retaliation (and high off the "If we sweep everything under the rug, it never happened and we can live with out white guilt") banned the cartoons because (again, these aren't even Mexicans or Latinos) they felt it was insensitive.

And guess what ethnic group brought it back? League of United Latin American Citizens. No kidding. While everyone else was looking at the "insensitive" stereotypes in the other mice, they found Speedy to be the Anti-Stereotype. After all, the speedy, smart, heroic character was nothing like what was seen in the 50's and 60's (THAT stuff was offensive). And after lobbying that group got us those cartoons back. I always loved those cartoons. The only Looney Tunes characters I ever disliked were the agreeable effeminate gophers. Did anyone ever find them funny?

 

[Super Scooter]

The only Looney Tunes characters I ever disliked were the agreeable effeminate gophers. Did anyone ever find them funny?

Oh, yes. Quite clever, indeed.

Splendid! Splendid!

 

[RedPiggy]

I always figured you'd like them if you liked Disney's Chip and Dale.

 

[Drtooth]

I always figured you'd like them if you liked Disney's Chip and Dale.

No... Chip and Dale FIGHT. There's tension. If one of the gophers got annoyed with the other and said "SHADDAAAPPP!" and batted him on the head with a mallet... that's funny. But hose are just... dull. Very dull cartoons, and I greatly disliked them. It took a Duck Dodgers episode to make them funny. Duck Dodgers the 2003 cartoon series. For me, the gophers were what all the Looney Tunes cartoons WEREN'T about. If they constantly came across a hunter or something, maybe it would be funny. But it didn't have the same comedic feel of Bugs, Daffy, or Wile E.... and it lacked the sweet comedic rhythms of that one with Marc Antony and Pussfoot. They were very lacking.

 

[Nick22]

now that ive heard the plot of the smurf movie, i dont TOTALLY hate it and MIGHT go and see it. im not even gonna get started on the cast. im just kinda sick of seeing george lopez everywhere.

 

[Drtooth]

I figure I'll give it a chance... maybe wait until the next trailer that actually shows something to not completely look like what I'm seeing in my head... years of watching bad kid's movie trailers gave me a rough idea what to expect.

Still... I don't care who plays the Smurfs at this point... I just wish they considered making the entire movie take place in the realm of the comics or 80's cartoon.

And for that matter... is that TinTin movie still happening? If all else fails, I want to see a GOOD American movie based off a Belgian comic.

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

And for that matter... is that TinTin movie still happening? If all else fails, I want to see a GOOD American movie based off a Belgian comic.

Yep, it's still going to happen and I can't wait!