The Smurfs 2

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, The Smurfs 2 is available in Australia on Paramount Plus and Stan, and in the US on Netflix right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Katy Perry sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Paramount Plus and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Smurfs 2 is worth clearing space for. The Smurfs 2 gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. The evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants, and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world¹s greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Katy Perry and Hank Azaria lead a cast with the timing to make it work. The Smurfs 2 came out in 2013. The Smurfs 2 earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in The Smurfs 2. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Katy Perry's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.