๐ Received: August 17th, 2023 ๐
๐ Written: September 23rd-October 1st, 2024 ๐
Hello, gamers and readers alike, welcome to my blog and thank you for taking the time to tune in today, I really appreciate it!
Image from MobyGames
In the mid '90s a Lyon, France-based firm by the name of Heliovisions Productions was formed which originally worked on dubbing, special effects, and editing. Come 1996 former
Screengrabbed while watching DARTHVR's playthrough video on YouTube
Hexplore, a 1998 isometric action-adventure puzzle RPG exclusively made for the personal computer gaming format which in part was influenced by Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo. Heliovisions' inaugural game was notable for using voxels (the 3D equivalent of a pixel, pretty much) which allowed the creation of 3D shapes and levels, and it was also the one game this firm worked on that wasn't based on a preexisting licensed property.
* Tigger's Honey Hunt for the PlayStation One and Nintendo 64 in 2000, Disney's Pooh's Party Game: In Search of the Treasure for the PlayStation One in 2001, and Piglet's Big Game for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance in 2003
Images from GameFAQs
Early in the company's career their first licensed game would be made in the form of The Smurfs based on the late Pierre "Peyo" Culliford's IP which they developed exclusively for the PlayStation One console, which naturally at this point in time would be published by Infogrames (for which its founder Bruno Bonnell would act as presenter). Produced by Raphaรซl Colantonio (Helio Game), Sandrine Thierry, Yolanda Alonso, and Christophe Gomez (Infogrames), executive produced by Mustapha Ailane, Jรฉrรดme Rouch, Domenico Spano, and Pascal Stradella (Helio Game), Catherine Simon as VP of I.Heroes Label, programmed by Lhermite, Pointier, Cyril Meynier, Jean-Christophe Capdevila, Vital Pourprix, David Torou, Dufour, Fulbert Boussaton, "Zappy", Denis Rousell, Jean-Luc Thomassey, Terrailon, Sebastien Mametz, and Stephane Pouyet, designed by Marc Albinet and JiJi Poncet, level
The North American version gives you a choice of one of three languages: English (The Smurfs), Spanish (Los Pitufos), and French (Les Schtroumpfs)
edited and scripted coded by Marco Mele, translated by Beate Vigliano-Reiter, Beatrice Egea Rodriguez, and Monika Steinhauer, and localized by Sylviane Pivot-Chossat, Maud Favier, Heike Walthers, and Jim Murdoch, the Smurfs' PlayStation foray would be released in North America on December 8th, 1999 and in Europe that same year.
One night in Smurf Village, inhabited by blue humanoid creatures as big as three apples high, Feathers the stork has just delivered something by the doorstep of a nearby Smurf house.
The following morning Hefty Smurf wakes up and upon stepping outside instantly takes notice of what's by his doorstep. He unwraps a blanket and finds a Baby Smurf, to whom he and the gathering Smurfs take a real liking to and adopt. While Hefty is out smurfing
Left: Smurfette promises a special surprise upon returning with all thirty moon crescents | Right: Departing from Smurf Village on a brand new adventure
In the sidescrolling action platformer The Smurfs you once again take control of Hefty Smurf whom you can move left and right, duck down, climb up and down should you grab on to a rope, jump up in the air with the ๐ท button with your gained altitude based on how hard you pressed it which you can press again to perform a double jump (but only after you procured a potion that enables Hefty to do so), to perform an action (such as dashing and performing somersaults after procuring the respective potions) press the ☐ button, press the ⭘ button to
Left: There's the first moon crescent ๐ | Right: Taken care of that monster
kick one of Jokey Smurf's presents upon picking one up, and if you wish to make your HUD visible at the top of the screen during gameplay (when not collecting a helpful item) you can simply hold down the △ button if you so choose. Throughout the course of the game are helpful items such as a variety of sweet delicacies like cookies and candy canes and shortcakes (for which collecting a hundred of them will gain a new life) depending on the (bonus) level, moon crescents (for which each level has got three) for which you're promised
Left: Normal non-Gargamel foes require being pounced on as well | Right: Cookie chamber
a big surprise by Smurfette should you complete the game with all thirty on hand, a Smurf token to simultaneously gain a new life and replenish your lost health at once (for which five whole hearts is Hefty's health capacity, preferably), one of three different potions (blue for double jump, green for dash, and red for somersault) which you'll obtain upon defeating a larger enemy or a special one which you'll keep until you either reach the end of the level or should you lose a life or if you access the hidden bonus level, a magnifying glass to reduce
Left: Checkpoint mushroom | Right: Jump on the scarajump to render it a momentarily as a trampoline that bounces you sky high
Hefty to a smaller size than he already is to fit through tiny openings that lasts twenty seconds, and in the diamond mine level a hard hat that also lasts twenty seconds which will help illuminate the dark area around you. Also strung throughout each level are enemies for you to contend with which can be dealt with by a simple hop and bop or by lopping one of Jokey's presents at them for a little range if need be. Midway through these levels area a mushroom which will bop itself in the head thereby activating a checkpoint which will start
Left: Collecting a barrage of candy canes while riding a rabbit through rain and lightning | Right: That fly is not paying attention to you at all, it deserves what's coming to it
you off from this exact spot should you lose a life by either falling offscreen or losing all your health in any way. Unlike previous The Smurfs platformers where it was a strictly linear affair in terms of the order you access the levels, in the case of Helio Game's platformer you can progress forward (which you want to do) but it is possible to revisit the previous levels you had beaten if you feel the need (mainly if you felt you missed a moon crescent or two). Should you wish to save your current progress you can access the save menu with the Select button while in the map screen and select one of fifteen available slots in the memory card.
Left: Swinging on a rope | Right: Pastries galore
The visuals were worked on by Pierre Bracconi, Daniel Balage, Olivier Enselme-Trichard, Franรงois Beudin, Jean-Marie Godeau, Poncet, Yann Le Pon, Christophe Archinet, and Christophe Anton. The PlayStation incarnation of The Smurfs is pleasant game to look at, incorporating 3D characters (modeled by Franรงois Delnord and Beudin and animated by Jean-Christophe Serme, Bracconi, and Delnord), objects, and foregrounds with nicely drawn and hand-painted 2D backgrounds and backdrops, bursting at the seams with a multitude of colors complete with a solid amount of Gouraud shading that helps augment visual depth. I like the opening level that briefly starts out in Smurf Village until Hefty steps into the forest
Left: Hopped and bopped a big one | Right: Flying in a tropical-themed bonus ๐ด
that's rich with green foliage with the darker colored trees looming in the background and whenever you access a grotto or cave I like that there's a piercing light shining down from the hole you emerged from, the second level has got a cool assortment of blue hues all around with a perpetual torrent of rain and occasional brief flashes of lightning with the full moon aglow in the background, I like the cold snow-blanketed environ of the fourth level with the snowy mountaintops in the background and you even get to see a beautifully transparent rainbow, the ice cave is atmospherically designed, and I like the constant wave distortion effects when swimming in the depths of the penultimate level. Hefty is designed nicely, his
Left: Avoid the stones lobbed at you by that pesky beetle | Right: This is a one-time present, you can either use it to attack the bat flying back and forth from a distance or you could fall down with it and use it to blow up an entrance to a secret compartment... your choice
motions are fluids whether he's moving or climbing or swinging or jumping or present kicking or swimming (with flippers and everything), and he does a cute celebratory dance when he reigns victorious over the Howlibird in the fifth level and Gargamel in the final level. Should Hefty remain idle long enough the camera will slowly yet awkwardly zoom in on him until it affixes itself with him in the center where you get a good view of his facial expression as he does a variety of idle posing like extending his leg resting the ball of his foot on the ground looking at it out of boredom, take on a pugilist stance as he practices throwing punches, and beckoning you to move forward by encouragingly hand gesturing to advance as
Left: Bouncing on a mushroom to reach greater heights | Right: Oooh, a rainbow, pretty! ๐
he looks toward the screen, and once you start moving again the camera reverts itself to normal. The rabbit he rides on has got a soft-looking texture that makes it friendly, the enemies are well designed and each have their own defeated animations (like Gargamel's monstrous creations who after being hopped and bopped on instantly fall on their head with their feet hanging in the air, facing the screen when going right but facing away from it when going left, until they deflate themselves like a balloon), the Howlibird is as menacing as ever with its green plumage and imposing stature, and Gargamel is huge and well-textured when you face off against him at the end (even if he is sticking around in the same spot).
Left: Clear the wider gaps by performing perfectly timed jumps after dashing ahead | Right: Soaring above the death pit thanks to the currents blowing upward
The music of this 32-bit incarnation of The Smurfs was composed by the artist solely credited as "Piggy Pie" (who would also compose the music for Infogrames' 2000 Europe-exclusive Game Boy Color game The Adventures of the Smurfs) with the sound effects provided by Christophe Carrier (whose other sound credits comprise of Hexplore as well as Arkane Studios' Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah: Might and Magic - Elements, and Dishonored). The first and fifth level theme once Hefty steps out of Smurf Village sounds melodically atmospheric and inviting and is a good way to start the game, the second level theme is ceaselessly intimidating to listen to (coupled with the lightning effects, there's even a faster tempo reprise as you're being chased by a boulder in the fifth level), the third and penultimate level theme sounds immersive with the quiet composition and occasional piano keys, the fourth and seventh level theme sounds pleasantly relaxing with the soothing violin and wind instrumentation for it is among my favorite themes from this game, the sixth and eighth level theme is short but sweet with the immersive yet inviting music composition, and
Left: Hefty chilled to the bone ๐ฅถ | Right: Attacked without provocation by an unfriendly snowman ☃️
I like the quietly foreboding nature of the final level theme with the harp plucks. The Howlibird's boss theme is silently ominous while Gargamel's boss theme is catchy yet menacing. Special mention goes to the exciting ski level theme, the slow piano melody of the dragonfly level theme after besting the mole in the race that soon turns into a ragtime number, and the sophisticated elegance of the haunted level theme. What struck me the most about the soundtrack of this The Smurfs game was that you don't get to hear the late Hoyt Curtin's iconic "La La Song" song once, which is uncharacteristic for a game of this license (did Infogrames not have the rights to use it this time around or did they not think it fit with the new material? Imagine a The Addams Family game without the late Vic Mizzy's iconic title theme, its absence would be keenly felt). ๐ It doesn't sound like what one would usually associate with the Phrygian cap wearing blue humanoids as tall as three apples high, but for what it is I do think it's good music that works well and complements these areas.
Left: Boulder chase | Right: Idly pugilistic on a rope bridge
When inserted in a music player (be it a radio or a Sega Saturn or PlayStation console menu screen) the game disc doubles as a soundtrack, which is always welcome, even featuring different variations of similar themes. The latter tracks comprise of in-game dialogue samples in different languages, and even though the North American version of The Smurfs only comes in three languages in the game proper you do also hear dialogue samples from languages you'd only exclusively hear in the PAL version otherwise such as Italian (I Puffi), Dutch (De Smurfen), and German (Die Schlรผmpfe). For whatever reason, the sound mixing of the English language track occasionally comes off as soft or inaudible whereas the other language tracks sound plain and easy to make out by comparison (especially when there's no music playing, which is not a good sign). The voice actors haven't been credited, but the IMDb website (if it can be trusted in this case) managed to make out who the English language voices of the vital Smurfs are: John Langford II (who also lent his voice talent to
Left: Blossom flower cannon ๐ผ | Right: Secret cave
Riverhillsoft's OverBlood 2 and Electronic Arts Canada and Seattle's Need for Speed: High Stakes/Need for Speed: Road Challenge/Over Drivin' IV) voices a very British Hefty Smurf this time around, Lisa Howard voices Smurfette, Christopher Wilson takes on the esteemed role of Papa Smurf, and for one line only John Tearney (who like Langford lent his voice to OverBlood 2 and the aforementioned Need for Speed racing game) voices Greedy Smurf. It's unknown who voices the mole that challenges Hefty riding on a dragonfly to a race and who voices the evil Smurf-hating wizard Gargamel (he almost sounds like the late Paul Winchell, who voiced him in the '80s Hanna-Barbera animated series, almost). Hefty's in-game voice is not at all like his cutscene voice as it is higher pitched and genuinely reminded me a lot of the time of Simon Cole's Glover voice from Interactive Studios' eponymous 3D platforming classic (particularly the hushed "ohhh!", jovial "whee!!", and the "hup!") that it made me want to check if these two games were connected in some capacity, but alas no.
Left: "OW!!! Frickin' Howlibird!!" ๐ | Right: "Smurf you!"
Back when I still lived in Italy until mid-2002, I got to play this PlayStation incarnation of The Smurfs sometime at the start of the 21st century which was the second game I played based on Peyo's license after the East Point Software port of the first 16-bit platformer on the Microsoft Windows years earlier. I played through all the levels of the easy "It's a Picnic" difficulty, but when it came to the normal "It's No Piece of Cake" difficulty mode I didn't get past the second level (the background theme was so ominously intimidating I was creeped out by it at the time). I didn't get far on the Windows game either back then, but I could at least cite its hard difficulty coupled with the fact that my gaming skills weren't fully
Left: A hard-shelled enemy with spikes protruding on its sides meaning the only way to attack it is by jumping on top of it? What is this, Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back? | Right: Hopping over a blue bat
developed yet (and the fact that I was playing with a QWERTY keyboard) as being the reason why, with this 1999 outing I blame the fact that I was too distracted by and invested in my other games in my collection as I didn't play this game much as a kid. It wouldn't be until many years later that I would replay Helio Game's contribution to the Peyo license when I decided to finally order an NTSC copy of the game on eBay on August of 2023, after having caught up with Bit Managers' Game Boy game and the late Fernando Velez and Guillaume Dubail's The Smurfs' Nightmare in 2020 (simultaneously) as well as the Sega Genesis repro carts of Virtual Studio's The Smurfs and The Smurfs Travel the World in 2021 (separately).
Left: Bouncing up high on a sugary bonus level | Right: Found another moon crescent
As the third Infogrames distributed '90s platformer to bear the simple "The Smurfs" moniker after the first 8-bit and 16-bit games, how does Helio Game's venue fare in and out comparison to the earlier games? Well, this isn't what I would call a great game per se, but to be honest I don't think that's what it's trying to be. It doesn't aim to be anything more than what it is: a simple yet pleasantly fun platformer while it lasts, which is perfectly fine. Hefty's controls are decent and reasonably responsive, for the most part the level layouts aren't too complex and manageable to navigate, you're rewarded for thorough searching (which either lead you to a bevy of delicacies to collect, a bonus level, a life, or a moon crescent), and I like that it gives you the option to revisit the level you've already beaten if you notice you've missed a moon crescent or two. It also presents a nice variety of gameplay scenarios: like occasionally jumping on a scarajump so that it will fall on its back thereby allowing you to
Left: Those rope-dwelling critters sometimes switch sides, so you may want to climb on the opposite end if you don't wish to sustain damage by them | Right: For one level only, you can grab a sentient tribal mask and hold it like a shield for twenty seconds to scare off any enemy that should be so unlucky to cross its path
bounce on it as it were a trampoline, riding on a rabbit through the pouring rain and sometimes hopping across the gap left by the holes on the ground, temporarily shrinking down to size to fit through small openings by touching a magnifying glass, swinging and climbing on ropes, blowing up specific walls with Jokey's presents in order to access those spots, temporarily gaining the ability to double jump upon procuring a blue potion at random points, soaring above the ground as the current elevates you above the ground or bottomless pit in a reasonable manner (with gained altitude acquired through careful air maneuvering), being sucked inside flowers that will aim and shoot you out like a cannon once you've decided which angle you want to be shot through, running away from giant snowballs and being careful not to get touched by the falling icicles, swimming underwater as you deal with the fishes and currents (it probably wasn't intentional on Helio Game's part, but I genuinely felt
Left: Kicking things off by having a big monster kick a giant snowball across which will roll and chase after Hefty | Right: Shrunk down to fit through that gap
Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped swimming level vibes during this bit, especially since both Crash and Hefty are wearing snorkels and flippers underwater), et al. Collecting all thirty moon crescents will give you an additional ending sequence, some of which are collected by backtracking all the way to the start after having gone ahead beforehand in a handful of levels--one in particular, the ice cave, requires you have to have both the double jump and the dash potions to reach the upper platform where the remaining moon crescent is while bearing in mind that you have to clear gaps and wait for the icicles (which have a nasty habit of respawning after having dropped and then magically reappear once you backtrack to where they were) so you might want to take your time here so as to not needlessly lose health if not lives if you were to go about it at a quicker rate. Most of them are in plain view and easy to grab while others require thorough searching to get to them, but it's
Left: That's a nice snow hat it's got | Right: ...too bad it still must be taken down with a simple hop and bop, which is the only way to obtain the dash potion
nothing that can't be handled after a smidge of trial and error. There are only two boss fights in this game, each requiring three tossed presents to do them in: the Howlibird battle is very easy while the battle against Gargamel (which is the first time you've directly fought against him since the first 8-bit and 16-bit The Smurfs) provides a little more challenge to it as there are additional obstacles to overcome. Regarding the difficulty of the normal "It's No Piece of Cake" game mode, it's not as challenging as the previous games could tend to be for the long run (the 16-bit titles in particular) but there is a simple pick up and play aspect that makes Helio Game's contribution to the Peyo brand approachable. The inclusion of the easier "It's a Picnic" difficulty mode is nice as it helps you become acclimated with Hefty's controls this time around with seven short levels introducing gameplay mechanics while also partaking in simple lighthearted activities which you can access in any order of your choosing.
Wow, who knew Hefty wanted to be Jokey this entire time?
He even gives a gift to Brainy Smurf at one point that's as explosive as can be... Okay, wow, Helio. I know Brainy has been portrayed as a stickler for Papa Smurf's rules and fundamentally inhabits knowledgeable intelligence and not emotional intelligence, which is why he comes off as an unempathetic doofus of a narc which usually results in him getting his, in the past... but in the context of this game by itself he hasn't displayed any such behavior (in the cutscenes, he genuinely appears happy), Hefty's just being cruel. ๐
Left: Random giant rolling snowball incoming | Right: Be careful of those icicles on the way back
It's interesting that this game even introduces Baby Smurf at all (this might be his first appearance in the video game medium), as the plot setup is essentially a retcon of the 1983 Hanna-Barbera episode "Once in a Blue Moon" where he's dropped off by a random stork whom the Smurfs take a liking to and adopt. The only difference is that in the earlier incarnation the same stork returns with a letter demanding the baby return as it was a mistaken delivery which put the Smurfs into a morally conflicting position with one side not
Left: This hard hat will allow you to get a sense of visual clarity in these mines for twenty seconds | Right: Follow the pointer and go up
wanting to see their newest Smurf Village denizen go (prompting Grouchy Smurf, whose heart was melted by Baby Smurf, to run away with him so as to not give him away) until eventually it was settled that he would stay, whereas in this game there is no moral compunction at all for he's a permanent Smurf Village resident who sadly just so happens to be among the Smurfs kidnapped by Gargamel's creatures of the night. Smurfette gets some slack at least, she doesn't get kidnapped this time around like she did in the first 8-bit and
Left: This bonus level is one of a bright and sunny disposition ☀️ | Right: How is it that the bigger versions of Gargamel's summoned creatures of the night have got natural-colored feet while the smaller ones don't by comparison? ๐ค
16-bit game, but it's too bad she doesn't have much to do here (she was a playable character in The Smurfs Travel the World, even if her gameplay was totally interchangeable with Inquisitive Smurf's, though she was absent in The Smurfs' Nightmare... I'm guessing neither Velez nor Dubail could think up a nightmare scenario for Gargamel's former creation reformed to being good specifically). I do think it's ideal to play "It's a Picnic" first because that sets up the plot while "It's No Piece of Cake" is a continuation of said plot this time
Left: Swimming underwater collecting candy that no doubt has become soggy and inedible due to being wet for so long | Right: With the red potion Hefty can perform offensive attacks, in the waters he can do a roll attack to take care of the fishes
involving Gargamel up to his nefarious schemes. The former mode takes twentysomething minutes to play through while the latter mode takes forty or so minutes to play through. Now, forty minutes might not seem like enough time to warrant a save spot as it can practically be beaten in one go, but by the same token it's nice that you're given the option at
Left: Shrunk myself again to get across a small gap and conveniently avoid the swinging ball and chain | Right: To think, this entire game is taking place on the day of the Blue Moon
all if you feel you don't have enough time to do so or if you're introducing this game to someone younger (i.e. a child) who's still developing their gaming skills. I wouldn't say it holds a candle to either the first 8-bit and 16-bit games--especially the latter which I felt was a very well-done expansion of the gameplay template established by the former--and in my
Left: Chain swinging | Right: Pouncing another small-sized Gargamel conjured monster
opinion it does fall slightly below the mark of The Smurfs' Nightmare (tentatively and moderately paced as that one was), but for what it was I found more enjoyment playing this game than I have the 16-bit The Smurfs Travel the World which I honestly consider to be the weakest The Smurfs platformer from the '90s distributed by Infogrames.
Left: Nothing sets the scene and ambiance for a final boss fight better than foreground candles ๐ฏ️ | Right: ...anyway: take this, Gargamel!!
There are better (licensed) sidescrolling platformers you could play on the PlayStation One, but Helio Game's The Smurfs does offer a pleasantly fun experience once in a while. Short and largely easy as it may come across as, this is a respectably lighthearted take on Peyo's license and not a shabby way of bookending the decade of '90s Infogrames The Smurfs fare.
My Personal Score: 6.5/10
● Hey, at least you get to see more sides to Azrael this time around than just his back like in the ending of Velez and Dubail's The Smurfs' Nightmare.
● Irrelevant, but I didn't mention this when talking about my thoughts on Fede รlvarez's Alien: Romulus at the end of my review of Kemco's Snoopy no Hajimete no Otsukai but I really wanted to: one of the trailers that played before the movie started was Barry Jenkins' Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to Jon Favreau's 2019 computer animated remake (which I've not seen) of 1994's Disney's The Lion King, to which I was completely baffled by and felt was the most complete and tonal whiplash of a moviegoing experience in some time. ๐ Unless it gets rated PG-13 (which I'm dubious of, but we'll see...), what business does a family film have playing a trailer of it before the showing of a hard R film? Honestly!
● Also not pertinent to this game, but I've rewatched Robert Zemeckis' Romancing the Stone on YouTube while it was free to watch (9/30/24) which is the second time I've seen it since May of 2023 when I reviewed the Japanese Sega Saturn version of Flair Software's Whizz (where I shared my brief initials thoughts there), and I think I enjoyed it more the second time around. ๐ I found a lot to appreciate with Zemeckis' breakout directorial success (apparently 20th Century Fox didn't think it would do that well because the rough cut they were shown did not leave a good impression on the studio executives... yikes, how below quality was the rough cut to elicit that reaction? ๐ฌ I'll admit there were certain times when the cuts and/or transitions to the next scene felt abrupt, making me wonder what may have been taken out of the final cut...): the chemistry between Kathleen Turner's Joan Wilder and Michael Douglas' Jack Colton is still endearing and believable (the ending genuinely puts a smile on my face), I like that Joan becomes her own hero (being a successful author unwittingly whisked off to a real-life adventure) and over the course of the movie learns to hold her own (even in situations where she's clearly in over her head), Dean Cundey's 2.35:1 cinematography is still spellbinding and captivating bringing to life Colombia's exotic locales (I refuse to watch this film in pan-and-scan, or any CinemaScope film that was not shot on Super 35, in the name of respecting artistic integrity and wanting to see the entire canvas and not just a fraction of it--nobody crops movies unless they hate movies, it's that simple), RIP Mary Ellen Trainor (who played Joan's sister Elaine), Holland Taylor's great as usual (even if she's only in the film for no more than five, six minutes tops?), the late Manuel Ojeda's (RIP) Colonel Zolo made for a formidable yet well-dressed villain with a threateningly mischievous air about him with an ever-ominous background theme playing any time his presence or signs of his presence is felt (the horror Joan feels as she returns to her apartment to find it turned upside down and broken into is palpable), and the late Diane Thomas' screenplay is still very fun with a healthy doses of romance, comedy, and action rolled into one (I'm still sad her life was snuffed out a year after this film came out, rest in piece). Special mention goes to Alan Silvestri's music which I feel is the heart of the film, I love the main theme and how you hear leitmotifs of it throughout, from the slow opening during the title credits to the quick-paced car chase scenes, and the beautiful finality that is the end credits scene with the glorious saxophone. The standout scene for me is the dance scene between Joan and Jack where they are having a blast and a good time, then their eyes meet and the sparks flare (which is when Silvestri's main theme music starts swelling building up to a beautiful payoff), proceeding to kiss each other while the fireworks are flying in the background which cuts to for a brief moment a wide panoramic shot of everyone else around them is dancing while these two are feeling love for one another in what can best be described as a moment frozen in time. It's a very beautiful sequence incredibly shot by Cundey, especially with the vibrant collection of colors. It's a movie that leans more toward being fun and doesn't take itself seriously (how about those fake outs? Really gets you for a second). And like I said, I love the ending. I don't know why, but Turner's "What??" delivery upon noticing Zolo pointing a gun at her I found amusing (not that the situation itself is amusing, but it's how she said it that got to me). And Danny DeVito's Ralph is fine, not my favorite role from him. Happy 40th to a great alternative to Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the originator of the female best-selling author unwittingly thrown into a real adventure with a male partner turned love interest genre (I like the Nee Brothers' The Lost City and Matthew Vaughn's Argylle, too)! ๐ฅณ I still want to watch Lewis Teague's sequel The Jewel of The Nile, but just like John Carpenter's The Fog it never seems to be available in any streaming format I have access to which is a bit annoying because I want to watch it (and again, no pan-and-scan! I refuse pan-and-scan, that's not preservation of movies as much as desecration of movies). Ugh, if it means I have to buy the Blu-Ray to get to watch it, so be it!
● Also also also, once again not relevant to this game, but I feel bad for those affected by the recent Hurricane Helene and wish them the best. ๐
Happy 25th Anniversary,
PlayStation One The Smurfs, you earned it!!!! ๐ฅณ
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