YouHeart
I gave it a 7.5 out of 10
mraculeated
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
Brendon Jones
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Anoushka Slater
While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
capone666
The Smurfs and the Magic FluteEarning money with a musical instrument is possible on the right subway platform.Mind you, the musician in this animated movie is making money through magic.When the king's jester Peewit (Cameron Clarke) gets a hold of a magical flute that can make people spontaneously dance when played, he attracts the attention of a merchant McCreep (Mike Reynolds), who steals the wind instrument to rob villagers.Now, Peewit and a knight's squire named Johan must use a wizard's spell in order to convene with the mystical blue-skinned forest creatures that first forged the flute if they hope to change McCreep's tune.Written and directed by the Smurf's creator Peyo, this 1976 hand-drawn feature from Belgium set the standard of what would go on to become the 1980s Saturday morning cartoon phenomenon; mostly because it feels like three episodes pieced together.Incidentally, when Smurf's hear the magic flute played they turn rabid.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca
purple74
This is a real classic: fantastic story by Peyo, classy animation (far superior than Hanna & Barbera's) and great characters. For all the people complaining about the Smurfs not being the main characters, you just don't get it right. This was not meant as a Smurf's story, this was a Johan and Pirlouit story. In this story the Smurfs made their first appearance ever, and they were really meant as secondary characters. Only, they became so popular, that Peyo had to start the Smurf's comic book series, as well. So, blame it on the American distributors that marketed this as a Smurf film, while it's actually a fantastic Johan and Pirlouit story.
ShootingShark
In the Middle Ages, Peewit the court jester comes into possession of a strange flute which causes anybody who listens to it to dance until they fall asleep. Little does he know it is a magic flute made by the mysterious Smurfs ...Belgium isn't particularly well known for its significant contribution to world cinema and I'm afraid this movie doesn't change that impression. It does at least have the distinction of being the first animation to feature les Schtroumpfs / the Smurfs, the highly popular creation of cartoonist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), and was made several years prior to the US TV show by Hanna-Barbera. My problem with the Smurfs is that they're too cutesy - all looks and no personality, despite what one of the (rather dreary) songs in the movie says. They are peripheral characters in the story at best, and heroes Johan and Peewit (renamed John and William in the English language version) are pretty bland and monotonous. The plot is pleasant enough, as is Michel Legrand's score - but the musical numbers by Yvan Delporte are fairly excruciating. The movie's best feature is its layouts and backgrounds, which are beautifully drawn and create a lovely medieval atmosphere of castle ramparts, rustic forests and market squares. A harmless cartoon feature, but not very stimulating for anybody above the age of six. English title - The Smurfs And The Magic Flute.
Cornelius Chesterfield
I used to be obsessed with comic books as a child. When we weren't playing soccer, me and my friends would ride our bikes to the city library where we'd spend the day reading their gigantic collection, and then take an average of 12 back home with us twice a week. Asterix, Les Tuniques Bleues, Chick Bill, Iznogoud, Thorgal, Achille Talon...all amazing series which I have to thank for my excellent proficiency in the french language. The library also had several movies the public was free to watch, including this one, one of my absolute favorites. I had forgotten all about it until I recently caught it on television while channel jumping...the wave of memories it stirred up at the moment made me cry, I'm not embarassed to say it.This one-hour cartoon movie unites both the Les Schtroumpfs (the Smurfs) series and the Johan Et Pirlouit series, both by belgian comic book immortal Peyo. Pirlouit, the lovable midget prankster, gets his hand on a magical flute made by les schtroumpfs that forces whoever listens to its melody to dance uncontrollably. You can imagine what he does with it :) However he makes the mistake of demonstrating its power in front of Torchesac, a wandering traveller spending the night in the castle, who subsequently steals it and uses it to rob people by making them dance until they pass out of fatigue. Now Johan and Pirlouit must get it back at all costs, so they head to the magical kingdom of les schtroumpfs to ask for their help.This movie is extremely old so the animation isn't up to par with what you see today, however it has something today's cartoons don't have: great humor and excellent dialogue. C'est inoui, halfway through the movie I couldn't help but feel pity for today's kids who grow up on cartoons where the dialogue is dumbed down as much as possible, or made cookie-cutter in the sense that there MUST be a moral lesson in the end. It's like they were americanized. This movie isn't like that, the dialogue contains vocabulary and sentence syntax of high level, it feels exactly like reading french comics.The music is great as well, highlights are the "flute fight" between Pirlouit and Torchesac and the song "Un Petit Schtroumpf", which is probably one of the best musicals moments in film.