The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol is a direct-to-video Christmas special based on The Smurfs, included on a bonus DVD with the Blu-ray release of the 2011 Smurfs movie. As the title suggests, it is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with Grouchy Smurf playing a role similar to Ebenezer Scrooge, while Smurfette, Brainy, and Hefty play the respective roles of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. It features a mix of CGI animation and traditional animation.

Synopsis
As Papa Smurf and some other Smurfs go through the village singing Christmas carols, they notice that Grouchy's house is the only Smurf house that hasn't been decorated. They go to visit Grouchy to find out what's wrong with him, and he tells them that he hates Christmas, slamming the door in their faces (and dumping a pile of snow on Brainy). Papa Smurf goes to his laboratory to create something that will hopefully help Grouchy regain the Christmas spirit that he seems to have lost. Soon a blue glowing ball of light travels through the village and enters into Grouchy's house, where it strikes him and causes him to fall asleep, also causing the lights in his house to go out.

When he lights the candles to see again, Grouchy first notices that he appears more like a cartoon drawing. Then he sees Smurfette appear in his house flying around, saying that she is the Smurf of Christmas Past, and she is here to show him how he used to be during the holidays, how he was so happy. But then she shows him how the years went by and every Christmas Grouchy got more and more disappointed because all he wanted was a hang glider and instead the only thing he got was another Smurf hat. The final blow came when Jokey showed up with a present in the shape of a hang glider for Grouchy, but when he opened it, all it turned out to be was another of his fellow Smurf's "surprises". Frustrated by his not being listened to, Grouchy throws his actual gift on the ground and storms off, saying "I hate hats!"

The next Smurf to appear is Brainy, who calls himself the Smurf of Christmas Present, whose purpose is to show Grouchy what effect his refusal to participate in the celebration of Christmas would cause. As the scene unfolds, after Chef Smurf has brought out the decorations for the Christmas tree, Clumsy sees that Grouchy isn't present to put the star on the tree and so decides to do the honors himself. However, as Clumsy approaches the tree, he trips and falls on a box of ornaments, creating a chain effect that ultimately results in the Christmas tree being burned to a crisp. Then Grouchy is taken to Papa Smurf's house where he sees that the village leader has personally made each Smurf's own hat for a Christmas present. Papa Smurf mentions about making a special hat for Grouchy that he's sure his little Smurf is going to love, which makes Grouchy feel a bit guilty for not appreciating what Papa Smurf has done for him.

Then the third and final Smurf to appear is Hefty, who calls himself the Smurf of Christmas Future, whose purpose is to show Grouchy what his actions will cause. He then sees that the village is empty and desolate, that there is no Smurf left in it. He finds out that the Smurfs have went out into the forest on Christmas Day to get a new tree in the hopes that it would help Grouchy get his Christmas spirit back, and that they have never returned. He goes out to the West Forest, where the Smurf of Christmas Future says the other Smurfs have gone to, and discovers that they have been captured by Gargamel, including Papa Smurf when he went out to find them. Then the Smurf of Christmas Future disappears, only for the evil wizard and his cat to show up to chase Grouchy around the laboratory. Grouchy tries to avoid them for as long as possible, but the bookshelf that he ends up standing upon collapses, and he finds himself falling into the fiery liquids of the cauldron...

And then in an instant, Grouchy is back in his house, realizing that the whole thing was a dream, and that since it's still only Christmas Eve, he has a chance to change things. Upon Christmas morning, the Smurfs wake up to find Grouchy be the first Smurf to be up and about making the final preparations. He admits to how selfish he has been wanting Christmas to be all about what he wanted to get and not seeing that it's about being around a family that cares for him. Happy to see his little Smurf learn his lesson, Papa Smurf gives Grouchy his Christmas present first, which Grouchy wholeheartedly accepts. Then after Grouchy has put the star on the tree, he discovers that his Smurf hat was made for gliding, as he leaps from the middle of the ladder and the hat expands into the form of a parachute. He glides his way down to the bottom of the tree, only to land right into a snow Smurf, which makes him complain about the things he hates, but the one thing he hates most of all is that Christmas only comes once a year.