The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol Information

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol is an American computer/traditionally animated short film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo. The animated short was written by Todd Berger and directed by Troy Quane, and it stars voices of George Lopez, Jack Angel, Melissa Sturm, Fred Armisen, Gary Basaraba, Anton Yelchin and Hank Azaria. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation with the animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Duck Studios. The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol was released on DVD on December 2, 2011, attached to the The Smurfs.

The short is an adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol. When Grouchy Smurf behaves badly to everyone and refuses to celebrate Christmas, the Smurfs of Christmas Past, Present and Future teach him to appreciate Christmas.

Plot

On Christmas Morning, the Smurfs are getting ready for their Christmas Party. While they are getting ready, Hefty Smurf and Handy Smurf cut down a tree for their Christmas Tree. By Christmas Evening, their all finish and start to celebrate. All but one Smurf joins the party-Grouchy Smurf. Papa Smurf comes to see whats wrong but all Grouchy says is that he hate Christmas. After the party, all the Smurfs go to bed and receive a gift from Papa Smurf-a Smurf hat handcrafted by Papa. Grouchy wakes up and find a present in front of his door. He opens it and find a Smurf hat but he expected another gift-a hang glider. Grouchy yells at the top of his lungs, " I HATE CHRISTMAS!!!". Then he sees everything around him turn into animation, and finds himself animated too. Suddenly, he sees an angel magically appear who sees to be Smurfette. She explains to him that she is The Ghost of Christmas Past to teach him a lesson about appreciating Christmas. She shows him as a young Smurfling receiving a gift which is a Smurf hat looking so happy to get it. Then The Ghost of Christmas Present, who is Brainy Smurf, appears and shows how he felt about the gift he had got and then tells him to be happy on Christmas. Then The Ghost of Christmas Future, who appears as Hefty Smurf, shows Grouchy his future Christmas. He tells him if he does not straighten up, then no smurf will like him and he will get no gifts from any smurf. Then everything around him goes back to its original form, the Smurfs come and see Grouchy on the Christmas Tree decorating it and putting ornaments on it. He yells out to the Smurfs, "MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERY ONE !!!" and jumps down with Clumsy attempting to catch him but instead lands on his body. Narrator Smurf comes along and tells the audience, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" before a black screen slides up in front of him with writing saying, "THE END".

Cast

• George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf
• Jack Angel as Papa Smurf
• Melissa Sturm as Smurfette/The Smurf of Christmas Past
• Fred Armisen as Brainy Smurf/The Smurf of Christmas Present
• Gary Basaraba as Hefty Smurf/The Smurf of Christmas Future
• Anton Yelchin as Clumsy Smurf
• Hank Azaria as Gargamel

Production

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol went into development in December 2010, and was completed in 9 months. The short was animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, which did the CGI part, and by Duck Studios, which animated the main hand-drawn part of the film. CG is the same as in the 2011 film, while the hand-drawn part follows the original designs by the Smurfs creator Peyo, with the help of some of the artists who worked on the 1981 television series. The short's director, Troy Quane, explained that the hand-drawn sequence "gives us that dream-like moment where he's learning things from these ghosts," and it is "a nice nod to the Smurfs history as a hand drawn comic."

Some of the original cast from the feature film were replaced in the short. Jack Angel, who voiced various characters in the 1981 television series, replaced Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf. Katy Perry, who was eager to reprise her role of Smurfette, was replaced by Melissa Sturm, due to scheduling conflicts with her tour.

Release

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol was released on December 2, 2011, only in standard definition, on DVD as part of The Smurfs 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set. It will be released as a stand-alone DVD on September 10, 2013.