Gru vs. Gargamel - Who's the Better Supervillain Dad? (The Smurfs 2: Adoption Movie Guide)

Gargamel reminds me of Gru from Despicable Me. They’re both quirky, black-clad villains intent on taking over the world. They’re both shown in parental roles. They both enter their parental roles initially because of a desire to use children to further their own interests. But there’s a difference. Gru comes to care for the children. He has a change of heart, and by Despicable Me Too, Gru is a good dad – one in whom young viewers can see a remediated father. Gargamel’s not that. Gargamel remains selfish, cruel, and bad-intentioned. 

He has his fingers crossed. 

Gargamel, an evil wizard, makes “Naughties,” which are small, greyish troublemakers.  Gargamel derives his power from Smurf essence, which can be extracted from Smurfs – small, blue-colored do-gooders. Once, one of Gargamel’s creations was captured by Papa Smurf. Papa Smurf changed her hue, made her good, and renamed her Smurfette. She has been well-accepted by her new community and fits in well as the first female Smurf. However, Gargamel hopes to capture Smurfette in the hopes of having her reveal the secret of how Papa Smurf turned her into a Smurf – with that information, Gargamel could create his own Smurfs, and then use them to power his evil schemes for worldwide domination. Smurfette is feeling sad because it seems that the Smurfs have forgotten her birthday; this makes her more susceptible to Gargamel’s plan – he sends Vixie, a female Naughty, to capture Smurfette, and then tries to win her over with claims of love and acceptance. All along, he’s trying to alienate her from the Smurfs and reclaim her for himself.  

How is This Relevant to Adoption?

The film intends to send a positive message, “The parents that you have – the ones that love you – they are your real parents.” Unfortunately, the film also says, “Your birthparents aren’t your real parents.” It’s an unnecessary dualism.

Rob Watson (@JandJDad) brought this movie to my attention, and I’m glad he did. There are a lot of adoption themes in Smurfs 2, and although adoption language isn’t used the adoption-esque themes in the film are pretty central. I’ll be using adoption language in this review – although the movie spoke more in terms of step-parents, it told more of an adoption story. Gargamel creates the Naughties. One of them (Smurfette) ended up with Papa Smurf; he changed her appearance, her name, and her behavior.  Smurfette has “horrible dreams about where I came from and who I really am.” We see her dream – she imagines her blue pigmentation washing off, revealing her to still be a greyish Naughty after all this time. When she shares her dream with Papa Smurf, he dismisses her fears saying, “It doesn’t matter where you are from; it just matters who you choose to be.” Later, when Smurfette is kidnapped by her birthfamily, they try to convince her that her roots do matter more than anything else, and that her adoptive family doesn’t actually care about her. She listens and is won over – and then we see that Gargamel really only intended to use her for his own gain. Smurfette and her two Naughty siblings are rescued by Papa Smurf, and all three of them return to live as Smurfs in the Smurf kingdom.

Here are some themes that you’ll see: Smurfette has nightmares about not actually being a part of her adoptive family. She is kidnapped by her birthfamily. They appear to be loving towards her, but they really intend to use her for their own gain. I have mixed feelings about the film – Some kids in adoptive families do have fears of being kidnapped and mistreated by birth family members. For kids who experienced abuse prior to their adoption, the fears are sometimes even grounded in reality. Many kids who have been adopted do probably struggle with questions of identity, wonder whether they’ll fit in, and wonder who they really are. Smurfette does those things, and Papa Smurf and the rest of the Smurf community continually reaffirm their acceptance of Smurfette and their belief that she fits in. That’s great.

But what I don’t like is the dualism inherent in the film. Smurfette’s family of origin is bad. Evil, even. Her new family is good. She needs to be completely cleaned of one in order to become the other. And I think that’s a thought that might be familiar to adopted kids, too. It’s not helpful, accurate, or healthy – but this movie presents it as true.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from” in the context of this film means, “Yes, your birthfamily is horrible, but that doesn’t mean you will be.”  Even in this, Smurfs 2 is difficult to evaluate. I like the hope that it extends – you don’t have to repeat the mistakes that your birthfamily made. But I think it’d be easy for young viewers to miss the nuanced statement of hope, and go straight to “Your birthfamily is bad; you can’t be like them.”

Strong Points

One character is chastised, “Stop blaming others for your pain, and don’t teach your son that love is conditional.”

Unfortunately, the movie seems to think that
"Both" can't possibly be the answer.

The Smurfs 2 touches on some legitimate issues, and it might be helpful for families to see them acted out on screen and then discuss them. For instance – Smurfette’s questions of identity appear especially heightened around her birthday; she also becomes very sensitive to feeling forgotten.  The Smurfs play a joke on her, pretending to forget her birthday, and it backfires horribly, causing Smurfette great pain. The film might help young kids talk about their fears. But………

Weak Points

I think it’s more likely to cause triggers than to cause helpful discussion. Smurfette is kidnapped by her birthfather (actually, he sends one of Smurfette’s birthsiblings to do the work, making use of an Oz-like portal.) He tells her that she is not a real Smurf. She is almost compelled to defend herself by screaming at him, “you’re not my father.” Her birthfather tries to cast doubts in her mind about Papa Smurf’s love for her. Smurfette’s great betrayal of the Smurfs is to tell one of their secrets to her birthfather.

Gargamel is bad. He resents feeding his children, complaining that they should be providing for him, rather than vice-versa. He kidnaps one of his children who has been raised by another family, but his intention in doing this isn’t love, or even the desire to reclaim what he believes is his. It’s worse than that. He wants to harvest her.

Recommendations

For what it’s worth, Despicable Me Too is a more entertaining movie, and it will probably appeal to the same age groups. I’d suggest making a substitution, especially for kids who’ve had bad experiences with father figures. Man of Steel and Kung Fu Panda might be better choices.

Questions for Discussion After the Film

Have you ever felt like Smurfette, not knowing whether you fit in? Did Smurfette fit in with the Smurfs or the Naughties?

Could Smurfette be both Smurf and Naughty? What was good about the Naughties? (This question is important, but it might take some imagination to help your kid come up with good things about the Naughties.)

How do you feel about meeting your birthfamily? Have you ever been scared that they would be mean like Gargamel? Or do you think they’d be more like the kind parents of Superman?

Thanks for checking out this adoption review of The Smurfs 2. Click Here for reviews of other recent films.

Adoption Movie Guide: Pacific Rim

Gigantic monsters called Kaijus have emerged from a trans-universal rift in the ocean, intent on exterminating human life and colonizing the earth. They are initially overpowering, but the governments of the world join together and craft “Jaegers,” skyscraper-tall weaponized robots, which are able to stand up to the Kaijus. But then bigger Kaijus come, and governments cut funding to the Jaeger program. Can humankind defeat the invaders using outdated technology?

How is This Relevant to Adoption? 

The Jaeger machines are too complex to be piloted by a single person. Two co-pilots are joined together through a neural handshake, melding their minds together so that they think as a single unit. We learn that, “the deeper the bond, the better [you function.]” One unit is piloted by two brothers – one of the brothers dies and the other later reflects, “I was still connected to him” when I lost him. He also adds that he “can’t have anyone else in my head” because of this. It’s a pretty reasonable portrayal of a traumatic loss resulting in difficulties making new relationships.

Also, one character was more-or-less adopted by another character, years earlier. The adoptive-esque parent is very protective, and struggles to let his child – now an adult – serve in the war. Another character chastises him, “You rescued her. You raised her. Now you are not protecting her; you are holding her back.”

Strong Points

There is love and respect between the adoptive parent and his child. The character who is unable to make emotional connections eventually regains that ability.

 

Weaknesses

One scene is particularly disturbing. One of the attacking monsters is pregnant. After she dies, the developing baby monster comes out of her corpse, ready to fight, but it ultimately is strangled by its own umbilical cord.

Recommendations and Conclusions

Pacific Rim will probably appeal mostly to teenagers and young adults. One character could be particularly powerful for young adults who have experienced significant losses and who, because of their losses, find it difficult to trust others. If you see it with your older teen, there might be a conversation point there.  Adoptive parents could reflect on the challenges inherent in letting a child who needed you, grow up and go out into the world again. Aside from that, it seems like a pretty standard big-budget action/sci-fi movie.

Questions

How will I let my adopted child transition into adulthood? In what ways does adoption make this different from the task of any parent to let their child grow up? In what ways is it similar?

How did the character find the ability to trust another person?

Adoption Movie Guide: Planes - Being More Than You Were Built For

Dusty is a crop duster, a plane built for farm work. But he desires so much more – he wants to compete in a world-class race. The plot is pretty similar to Turbo, which was featured here last week. Anyway, supported by a good group of friends, Dusty qualifies for the big race (like in Turbo.) There, he realizes that a famous racer that he’s long admired is actually kind of evil (like in Turbo.) But in the end, he overcomes.  There’s a difference, though – Turbo was snapped up at random, then he was miraculously given his powers to race, and he more or less triumphed by his own wishes and refusal to quit. Dusty overcomes with the support of his friends – some longtime friends, a mentor who had fallen and then redeemed himself, and some former enemies who wanted to make amends. The story is a little more palatable.

How is This Relevant to Adoption? 

Dusty undergoes some changes (in name and appearance) in order to fit into a new community, and eventually finds a way to be true to himself while also thriving in new situations. It’s not that strong of a connection, but some kids might resonate.

Strong Points

One of Dusty’s mentors has allowed Dusty to believe things about him that aren’t true. When Dusty finds out the truth, he acknowledges that he wouldn’t have sought him out as a mentor had he known the truth.  Dusty is disillusioned and the mentor is dejected; however, they reconcile when the mentor goes out of his way to help Dusty. What I like about this – so many kids in foster care have been let down by adults, and yet the kids are expected to go out of their way to give the adults a second chance. At least in this film, the adult figure is the one to make things right.  December Boys, anAustralian film featured on Adoption at the Movies several months ago, also did a good job of dealing with kids being disillusioned about a hero.

Dusty’s community is obviously happy for his success.

The film does suggest that it doesn’t hurt to try, and that failure isn’t final.

Dusty acknowledges his limitations, but wants to “prove that maybe, just maybe, I can do more than I was built for.” He overcomes limitations and fears to find success.

Dusty helps several of his competitors; he is a good sport.

Challenges

"You Can't Pretend Stuff Isn't Happening When It Is" - The Wolverine Adoption Movie Guide

While a prisoner of war in Japan, Logan (Wolverine) shields one of his captors – Yashida - from an atomic bomb blast. Logan’s supernatural self-healing abilities are known to us from previous X-Men movies, but they surprise Yashida. Decades later, Yashida summons Logan to his bedside. There, Yashida asks Logan to transfer his healing powers to him. That way, Yashida can live forever, and Logan can end the immortality which he has long viewed as a curse. Logan declines, Yashida is reported dead the next morning, and then the action starts. At Yashida’s funeral, his granddaughter is kidnapped by the Yakuza. Logan tries to rescue her, and finds that his healing powers have started to decline.

How is This Relevant to Adoption? 

Some children might experience life similarly to how Wolverine experiences it. Wolverine has experienced significant trauma, and almost certainly could be diagnosed with PTSD. He has frequent nightmares over things he’s done and things done to him. He struggles with trust issues.

Strong Points

Wolverine has experienced a lot of trauma. Although he does seem to put up a shell around himself, as I’ll write about later, he doesn’t seem to hide from what’s happened. One statement in the film is, “You can’t pretend s*** isn’t happening when it is.” That’s good advice.

It’s a bit of a stretch to take this symbolically, but in one scene, Logan is unable to heal himself because of blackness on his heart. He painfully removes the blackness, and then is able to heal himself again, and from there, he’s able to help his friends.

The film does show that not all bad premonitions are correct. That’s very valuable.

Logan ultimately decides that he wants to live.

 Weak Points

Reel Spirituality editor Elijah Davidson suggests that Wolverine’s aloofness, heroism and unpredictability can make him sort of a fantasy father-figure for kids with absent or unknown fathers. At the same time, he is very violent. A man hits a woman. Any of these aspects could be very troubling for kids who’ve witnessed domestic violence in their families of origin or foster families.

No Dream is too Big, No Dreamer too Small: Turbo Adoption Movie Guide

A slow-paced community of snails goes about their daily lives, every member contentedly harvesting tomatoes from a backyard garden. Well, almost every member.  Theo is enamored with racecar driving and, inspired by racing champion Guy Gagne, imagines himself to be a racing champion as well. Through cinematic magic, Theo is infused with supernatural speed, renames himself Turbo, and gains entry into the Indianapolis 500.

How is This Relevant to Adoption? 

When Theo leaves his initial community, he is found by Tito, a taco truck driver, who brings him home. Around this time, Theo’s name becomes Turbo. While Turbo thrives in Tito’s care, the way he joined Tito’s home seems very random. Some kids might relate.

Strong Points

Turbo is bold in his dreams and persistent in his hope. The film encourages, “No dream is too big, and no dreamer too small.” Turbo pursues his dreams in spite of being mocked by others. He refuses to accept the advice of a burnt-out older snail, “The sooner you accept the dull, miserable reality of your nature, the happier you’ll be.” Turbo also persists in following his dreams, even though another snail reminds him that he already tried once, and failed. I struggle a bit with the magical aspect of how Turbo’s dreams come true – the hard work shown in Monsters University seems more realistic – but at least Turbo is asked, “What happens if you wake up tomorrow and your powers are gone?” His answer is good, “Then I better make the most of today.”

Turbo’s brother, Chet, is fired because of Turbo. Although Chet yells at Turbo, he does not abandon him. They stick together.

 Weak Points