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Mind the Cat

Mediocre

Recommended age Unlock

Co-watching from age 5

Stimulating

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Prime Video

Paramount +

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Mind the Cat

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This program is stimulating. It actively demands attention and can feel intense. For the recommended age, this may be on the more intense side. The pacing is fast. Images follow each other quickly, leaving little time to pause and take in what is happening. The sound is intense and continuously present. The visuals are calm and well-organized.

The child follows one clear thread: Brainy borrows Papa Smurf's hypno-glasses, cures Scaredy's fear, then tries to use them on Gargamel and everything goes wrong. Events build in a recognisable order with a clear beginning, middle and end, and the consequences flow logically from each choice, since hypnotising Gargamel while he stares at his cat makes the cat his master. New ideas and objects arrive at a manageable rate for this age, mostly carried through conversation rather than piled on at once. The odd jump into a fresh chase can feel abrupt, but the central goal stays easy to track.

There is real tension here: a bear chases the Smurfs, Gargamel hunts them for his cat, and characters voice threats like turning the cat into a rug or the Smurfs into 'Kitty Chow'. Most flare-ups do settle, the bear is sent back to sleep and the ending restores order, so upset moments generally find a resolution. The tone between the Smurfs stays mostly friendly and supportive, though Brainy lies to Papa Smurf and puts a nervous friend in front of a bear, which sits uneasily as behaviour. Swings between calm talk and frightened flight happen often enough that the emotional footing shifts more than once.

Characters do drive the action themselves, Brainy has the idea, Smurfette proposes using the glasses on Gargamel, and they set off to fix their mistake without being pushed. Where it thins out is the actual working-through: attempts are made and backfire, but the decisive repair comes from Papa Smurf arriving to sort it out rather than the younger Smurfs reasoning their way to a full solution. The link between cause and effect in their choices is visible, aiming the glasses at the wrong target hands control to the wrong 'master'. The thinking stays fairly shallow, with more trial and panic than deliberate steps and adjustment.

Speech is clear and the sentences are mostly complete, with a few richer words like 'hypnosis', 'permission' and 'command' that a child can pick up from context. The recurring habit of using 'smurf' as a stand-in verb ('smurf your back', 'smurf them back to my lab') is playful but blurs meaning, and long runs of 'ha ha ha', 'meow meow' and 'hmm' add filler that carries little content. When the dialogue is doing real work it explains plans and reactions well enough for this age. The mix of solid, functional lines and hollow repetition lands it in the middle.

Almost nothing here transfers to a child's daily life: the story runs on magic hypno-glasses, a wizard, a talking cat and Smurf magic, so the activities have no practical, imitable purpose off screen. The world is fully fantasy, which for this age can work when it stays internally consistent, and it mostly does, but there is little grounding in recognisable real tasks. What does carry over is the social layer, friends looking out for one another, asking permission, and the fallout of not being honest. Beyond those relationship beats, the episode offers few footholds in the real world.

More information

The cast is a village of blue Smurfs who all share the same look and setting, with Smurfette and a few other female Smurfs standing out mainly by their yellow hair. The only humans are Gargamel, the wizard who hunts the Smurfs, and no wider variety of people, families or ways of living appears. Leadership sits with Papa Smurf and the plan is driven by Brainy, though Smurfette contributes the idea to use the glasses on Gargamel. Overall the picture is narrow and male-leaning, with little of the everyday human variety children might recognise from their own world.

This episode lives entirely in an invented world: small blue characters in mushroom houses, a scheming wizard, and a pair of hypnosis glasses that put anyone under a spell on the count of three. The wizard Gargamel returns as the familiar villain who wants to catch and eat the Smurfs, so the good-versus-bad framing is clear and flat rather than nuanced. The magic does follow its own steady rules, which keeps the made-up logic easy to track. For four to six year olds the mix leans heavily fantastical, with chase scenes and the threat of being caught that sit at the busier, tenser end for the youngest viewers.

This is a polished, feature-quality production with expressive character animation, warm lighting and a clean sound mix, and it carries a real plot: Brainy borrows Papa Smurf's hypno-glasses, oversteps, and the trick backfires when Gargamel's cat ends up in charge. There is light comic irony a grown-up can appreciate, mostly the running 'smurf' wordplay and Gargamel reduced to meowing on all fours. The main drawback for an adult in the room is the noise: long stretches of stacked laughter and chained 'Meow! Meow!' calls, plus rapid cutting and repeated hypnosis flashes. Watchable alongside your child, with a few moments you may want the volume down for.

Themes

Good vs evil

Central

The Smurfs try to stop the wizard Gargamel from catching them using the hypno-glasses.

Magic

Papa Smurf's hypno-glasses put a bear, Gargamel and others under a trance on the count of three.

Overcoming fear

Brainy uses the glasses to make the nervous Scaredy Smurf unafraid of a bear.

Deception

Recurring

Brainy lies to Papa Smurf, saying the glasses are safely at home when he has lost them.

Consequences

Recurring

Hypnotising Gargamel in front of his cat makes the cat his master and causes disaster.

Mischief

Recurring

Brainy borrows the glasses without permission and experiments with them.

Activities

Chasing

Gargamel crawls after the Smurfs meowing to catch them for his cat.

Magic trick

The hypno-glasses spin spirals to place characters under a spell.

Searching

The Smurfs hunt through Gargamel's house for the lost glasses.

Pretend play

Brainy plays hypnotist, commanding others to do the hokey pokey.

Emotions

Fear

Scaredy Smurf trembles at a bear and the Smurfs flee for their lives.

Excitement

Brainy cheers 'I smurfed a bear!' after the hypnosis appears to work.

Surprise

Characters gasp as Gargamel starts meowing and obeying his cat.

Determination

Brainy insists 'it was my idea, I'll do it' when going to recover the glasses.

Anger

Gargamel shouts at the cat, 'Get out of my brain you overgrown furball!'

Behaviour

Chasing

A bear and later Gargamel chase the Smurfs through the forest and house.

Deception

Brainy tells Papa Smurf he has the glasses at home when he does not.

Problem solving

The Smurfs search Gargamel's house to recover the glasses from under a shelf.

Scheming

Brainy and Smurfette plan to hypnotise Gargamel to stop him chasing Smurfs.

Helping

Papa Smurf arrives to free Gargamel and the Smurfs from the botched hypnosis.

Asking permission

Smurfette notes they should ask Papa Smurf before using the glasses on Gargamel.

Admitting mistakes

Brainy says 'I never should have used them' and offers to fix his error.

Social lessons

Friendship

The Smurfs work together to help Scaredy and to fix Brainy's mistake.

Honesty

Brainy's lie to Papa Smurf about the glasses drives the trouble that follows.

Responsibility

Brainy takes ownership, saying the plan was his idea and he will put it right.

Consequences

Using the glasses without permission leads to the cat controlling Gargamel.

Asking for help

A trapped Gargamel begs 'Help me, Smurf' to be freed from the cat's control.

Antagonist

Gargamel the wizard actively hunts the Smurfs throughout the episode.

Chase scene

A bear and then Gargamel chase the fleeing Smurfs in several sequences.

Scary scenes

A large bear wakes and roars up close at the tiny Smurfs.

Mild violence

Gargamel grabs Smurfs and threatens to turn the cat into a rug and file down its fangs.

Flashing lights

The hypno-glasses produce bright spinning spirals and brief flashes, one stronger flash near the end.

Deception

Brainy lies to Papa Smurf about having the glasses safely at home.

Stereotypes

Flat villain

Gargamel exists mainly to catch and threaten the Smurfs with little other motivation.

Villain appearance coding

Gargamel is drawn with a hooked nose and gaunt face and lives in a dark castle.

In the Smurf village, Brainy borrows Papa Smurf's magic hypno-glasses and uses them to cure the nervous Scaredy Smurf of his fear of a bear. Encouraged by success, he and Smurfette decide to hypnotise the wizard Gargamel so he will stop chasing Smurfs, but the spell makes Gargamel obey his own cat instead. The Smurfs must sneak into Gargamel's house to recover the glasses as he hunts them on the cat's command. Papa Smurf arrives and steps in to set everything right.

Season 1

9 episodes

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Who Nose?

recommended age co-watching from 5

In the Smurf village, Hefty becomes convinced his nose is too big after Brainy teases him and he worries Smurfette will not notice him. Ignoring Papa Smurf, he uses a cream from Gargamel's spell book, which backfires and turns him into a giant nose that rampages through the forest. The Smurfs work together to protect Smurfette, and Papa Smurf stops the creature with a handful of pepper before caging Hefty safely. By the end Hefty is recovering and the Smurfs agree his nose was fine all along.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Diaper Daddy

recommended age co-watching from 5

In the Smurf village, none of the Smurfs want to change Baby's diaper, so Handy invents a caretaker robot called Diaper Daddy. When Baby lands in the mud the robot short-circuits and starts firing at everyone, chasing the Smurfs up an old tower while the wizard Gargamel prowls nearby. The Smurfs work together and get Baby to press the off button, ending the rampage. The episode closes with them right back to arguing over whose turn it is to change Baby.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Smurf-Fu

recommended age co-watching from 5

In the Smurf village and surrounding forest, Smurfette rescues Brainy from a snake using a fighting art called Smurfoo and then tries to teach it to the others. She pushes them to defend themselves alone, they rebel and plot to scare her, but a real ogre captures the group. Smurfette fights the ogre and frees her friends, and everyone realises they work best as a team. The episode ends with the Smurfs reunited and their motto restored.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Who's Heftier?

recommended age co-watching from 5

In the Smurf village, weak little Wimpy brags that he is stronger than Hefty, and the two face off in an obstacle-course contest. When Wimpy wins by luck and takes the title 'Heftier', Smurfette disguises herself as a fortune teller and invents a meteorite prophecy to help Hefty win a rematch. A real meteorite then falls, and Wimpy's warning saves the whole village. The Smurfs cheer him as the hero at the end.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Where's Papa Smurf?

recommended age co-watching from 5

In the Smurf village, Papa Smurf accidentally turns invisible after a clumsy Smurf knocks over his potions. To make an antidote, the Smurfs need a whisker from Gargamel's cat, so Brainy, Smurfette and the invisible Papa Smurf sneak into the wizard's house and pose as a ghost to steal it. They frighten Gargamel, grab the key and the whisker, and escape. Papa Smurf is cured and calls the village back to work.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Mind the Cat

recommended age co-watching from 5

In the Smurf village, Brainy borrows Papa Smurf's magic hypno-glasses and uses them to cure the nervous Scaredy Smurf of his fear of a bear. Encouraged by success, he and Smurfette decide to hypnotise the wizard Gargamel so he will stop chasing Smurfs, but the spell makes Gargamel obey his own cat instead. The Smurfs must sneak into Gargamel's house to recover the glasses as he hunts them on the cat's command. Papa Smurf arrives and steps in to set everything right.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Driiinnggggg!

recommended age co-watching from 5

In the Smurf village, Lazy keeps missing the fun because he is always asleep, so Handy builds him an alarm clock backpack that wakes him every few minutes. Newly awake, Lazy tries everything and parties through the night, but the endless ringing keeps the whole village up and cannot be switched off. When the Smurfs chase him to remove it, Lazy bolts into the forest and past a bear, while Gargamel and Azrael try to grab a Smurf drawn out by the noise. The episode ends with Lazy back home safe and the alarm gone, and Gargamel left empty-handed.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

The Scariest Smurf

recommended age co-watching from 5

On Halloween in the Smurf village, the timid Scaredy Smurf is talked into delivering Papa Smurf's dangerous potions and is accidentally splashed and transformed into a creature. Unaware of his new look, he wanders into the costume party and unknowingly terrifies everyone, sparking a long chase through the village and the nearby forest, where even the wizard Gargamel is frightened off. When the group finally corners the 'monster', it is revealed to be Scaredy himself, changed by the potion. The episode ends with Gargamel spying on the Smurfs and laughing.

The Smurfs 2021

The Smurfs 2021

Clumsy Not Clumsy

recommended age co-watching from 5

Clumsy Smurf is captured by the sorcerer Gargamel, who tricks him into taking a magic amulet that makes the wearer the opposite of what they are, secretly using it to track the Smurf village. When Clumsy returns home graceful, Gargamel follows the amulet and cages the Smurfs, planning to cook them. The Smurfs escape through Brainy's stalling and Clumsy's own clumsiness, which turns out to be exactly what foils the villain. The story ends with Clumsy accepting himself, deciding that 'having two left feet isn't so bad after all.'

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From this series The Smurfs 2021

By age 5 years

By platform Netflix Prime Video Paramount +

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