स्मर्फ्स: द लॉस्ट विलेज

Britons of a certain age will remember the Smurfs via a very annoyingly memorable song by Father Abraham which once heard is never forgotten no matter how hard you try. In other words I'm not a fan of the blue ones but since I want to expand my film watching experience I thought I'd see what the mainstream audience are watching at the multiplex. On top of that II did read the synopsis on this site:

In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting race through the Forbidden Forest leading to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history

Reading that I was instantly reminded of Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS . a film trilogy that I didn't expect much from but was totally blown away by this cinematic masterwork. Again I should guard my back by saying I wasn't expecting all that much from the Smurfs but went in with an open mind If I have a problem with SMURFS THE LOST VILLAGE it's that I found it totally forgettable. Of course it's difficult to empathise with blue dwarfs but even so I found myself wishing I had a better connection with the characters. It's also not helped by much of the story not taking part within the forbiddingly named "The Forbidden Forest" and wished the story elements had been much darker . That said the film is made as family friendly fare and that's the target audience rather than me

Once again from Sony Pictures Animation movies - the animation is fantastic with great character designs that stay faithful to Peyo's comic series of the same name and does a great job bringing them alive in 3D form, but the hard work from the animators is once again wasted, because all of previous works by the same studio suffer the same problems like the story, characters, dialogue and especially the music (being very bland and forgettable and putting very famous songs has become a tradition for Sony) and all of the weak aspects combined together makes Smurfs: The Lost Village look very beautiful, but unfortunately it feels very mediocre at best and yet at the same time i still consider it an improvement over the awful live-action/animated hybrid Smurfs movies.

La La La La La La, sing a happy song! It's an intro will never forget for not only its ability to get stuck in my head, but also for the show it represents. The Smurfs' legacy has extended over the decades into a plethora of forms primarily in the TV shows and movies of the 80s. After a six-year hiatus from the live action movies, the blue creatures return to the silver screen to try to regain footing. Will the new style work, or does it fall much like the character Clumsy Smurf? Robbie K here with a review on the Smurfs: The Lost Village. Let's get started.

LIKES: • Animation style works • Feels like a Smurfs Adventure • Surprisingly emotions • Soundtrack

Summary: When I saw the trailers for this film, I had my doubts after seeing the definition the live action movies did. Fortunately, the animation works and feels more Smurf like than the previous movies. Our cast of blue minis has fluid movement and style that is representative of the classic series, as the colorful world and all its creatures pop in the same happy, righteous style they capture all those years ago. However, the animation is not the only thing that represents the classic style. The adventure of Lost Village is representative of the classic Smurfs cartoon, filled with epic silliness and kid friendly action for all to enjoy. Much of the audience targeted by this film, will enjoy all the quirky jokes and simplistic scenes, sure to feel their hearts fill with joy at all the happiness packed in this movie. This movie isn't all sunshine and rainbows though, as the film has a little more emotional punch than I expected, with a few sequences well-crafted to derail the ecstasy this movie elates. And if all that isn't enough to convince you the movie is fun, then the soundtrack will certainly bring this point home. You will certainly find the musical numbers full of energy and may find yourself dancing in your seat… like me. Not the most unique, but the tracks picked for this film are quite perfect for the scene and would be one CD to pick up.

DISLIKES • Rushed at times • Lost Potential • Anticlimactic Ending • Gargamel not as funny

Summary: Smurfs adventures have never been long, but when in cartoon series form you had plenty of episodes to tell a complete story. Not the case for this film. Sure, they wrap up a lot of the ties, but many times the film seems rushed, leaving things underdeveloped in an attempt to cram everything into the short run time. While I give the editing props, I also sigh at the lost potential of this movie. Lost Village does a nice job showing off the Forbidden Forest and giving us some unique flora and fauna to the world. Yet, the trek could have had a few more obstacles for the heroes to challenge before getting to their goal. Not that big a deal, okay how about the fact that some of your favorite Smurfs have been tossed to the secondary bin including Papa Smurf the legendary leader. If that still isn't enough, then how about the fact the new tribes of Smurf girls are very underdeveloped. After a cool introduction and sweet styled montage, the girl Smurfs are almost as useless as Gargamel's jokes. No cool moves, no special magic, and almost very little importance to the plot, the girl Smurfs tribe really could have been taken further to make it worth all the casting they did for voices and the money they spent. And because of their minor involvement, and a predictable story line, the exciting climax at the end… was so climactic as it was an animated light show. Had I not had to struggle through the forced comedy of Gargamel, that often devolved into mindless, one directional banter, that few above the age of seven will enjoy. Really missed Hank Azaria's delivery and writing on this one.

The Verdict:

The Smurfs Lost Village is a nice reintroduction of the gang back into the modern world with the feel, design, and energy the show always had. However, the lost potential, rushed development, and anticlimactic moments certainly took away from all the potential the movie could have brought. Perhaps instead of a movie, the Smurfs should have been picked up by Netflix and the show restarted for the new generation of streamers. Needless to say, this movie isn't so much theater worthy (outside of music and animation) and would recommend waiting for this one to hit home.

My scores are:

Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 6.5 Movie Overall: 5.0

In 2011 Sony Pictures brought a revival movie to the original comic and 80's animated TV show The Smurfs that seemed like a good idea...right? WRONG! the disastrous Live-Action Smurfs film that had high celebrity voices, Irrelevany Product Placement, and cameos that didn't help the story at all. the film and fell flat with barely making back its budget that left adults childhoods ruined. Later in 2013 was the just as bad sequel to The Smurfs that failed more than the first with the same premise of cameos, unnecessary characters and product placement, and was downright awful spawning the films to roll in peyo's grave. Later in 2017 is a fresh breath of air from the terrible Smurfs movies that Sony made, despite this new being made by Sony. Smurfs The Lost Village is Directed by Kelly Asbury, the same director behind Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Gnomeo and Juliet, and Spirit. The Movie's plot has best friends Smurfette (Demi Lovato), Brainy (Danny Pudi), Clumsy (Jack McBrayer) and Hefty (Joe Manganiello) use a map that guides them through the Forbidden Forest and wonderland that's filled with magical creatures. Their adventure leads them on a course to discover the biggest secret in Smurf history as they race against time and the evil wizard Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) to find a mysterious village. The plot is your basic Lord of the Rings like quest where the characters are forced to handle environments and new creature that would either friend or eat them. It is a reused basic scheme that Hollywood uses, but it's the execution to the specific details of what matters. The Characters are mostly reminiscent to the creator, Peyo's vision, and maybe some changes that either compel or drag the story either feeling annoying or acceptable. I feel that most of the background Smurfs would have been more reliable and interesting rather than the main smurfs. While the acting is great with the voices not being original and rather that happy-go-lucky charm you either find endearing or redundant. The animation I will say is great though, and seeing the smurfs having more of a look to the comics did feel charming with how the other two, felt...creepy. This movie has it's feel of the Trolls film from 2016 in which they kinda stole their expedition with revealing them in a musical standard. Despite the similar impact, the movie does feel better with the movie barely spewing pop culture references and worthless innuendos. Overall, The Smurfs lost village is good movie despite the childlike humor in most scenes while giving a more character impact whether if you found the useful or useless to the plot. The Plot is executed well in which i give credit for being better than the CGI smurfs movies. This movie can be better for some demographics specifically for younger audiences while boring adults or older teens. The movie is what i call enjoyable for a Point of View whether if you are a child with a pov for thrill seeing characters going on an adventure facing many adversity and discovering a new life. You can pay respect respect for this film considering it has a lower budget than the other terrible Smurfs movies of 60 million with the others being over 100 million, that is bull. I thought the movie was good despite some concerns in the characters not being that reminiscent from Peyo's original vision. If your child or little brother wants a smile on his face, let him watch this movie, and it is a better excuse to just enjoy it better than the previous trash films. B

The Smurfs - The Lost village is a tribute to Peyo and his artistic ability in 1958 in creating the Smurfs. Great work to the director, crew, stars and of course Sony Animation to creating a lost village like no person not even some Smurfs has ever seen before. Avatar had loads of colour. The Lost village is that and more. Great movie for everyone.