The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol -

: Brainy Smurf (Fred Armisen) shows him how his negative attitude dampens the joy of others.

: The switch to 2D animation is frequently praised as the best part of the special, appealing to older fans who grew up with the original show.

: Smurfette (Melissa Sturm) reveals that Grouchy’s bitterness stems from never receiving the one gift he truly wanted—a hang glider. The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol

: The humor is gentle and appropriate for younger children, making it a "wholesome" holiday watch. What Reviewers Criticized: Scrooge 3: The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol

On Christmas Eve, the Smurf village is bustling with festive preparations, but Grouchy Smurf (voiced by George Lopez) refuses to participate, shocking his fellow Smurfs. To restore his holiday spirit, Papa Smurf (Jack Angel) uses a magical potion that triggers a dream in which Grouchy is visited by three spirits: : Brainy Smurf (Fred Armisen) shows him how

: Several reviewers, including those from IGN , noted that this 22-minute short felt more focused and "competently made" than the full-length live-action movie it was paired with.

Critical and audience reception is generally positive, with a and an 87% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes . What Reviewers Liked: : The humor is gentle and appropriate for

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol (2011) is a 22-minute animated short film that adapts Charles Dickens' classic novella into the colorful world of the Smurfs. Directed by Troy Quane and written by Todd Berger, it was originally released as part of the 3-disc DVD/Blu-ray combo pack for the 2011 live-action The Smurfs movie. Plot Overview