This one is for the kids only...
Film- Smurfs: The Lost Village
Director- Kelly Asbury
Cast- Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Julia Roberts, Mandy Patinkin, Michelle Rodriguez, Joe Manganiello, Danny Pudi, Jack McBrayer, Meghan Trainor
What's it about:
If you’ve watched The Smurfs and The Smurfs 2, you’re probably aware of tiny blue creatures with white clothes and droopy hats living out their lives in blissful coexistence. You’re also aware of Smurfette (Lovato in this film, Katy Perry in the first two) as the apple of the Smurfs’ eyes. And you’re also aware of Gargamel (WIlson here, Hank Azaria in the other two films), that evil wizard who has a smarter-than-thou cat and a scary-looking bird at his beck and call. Well, here, it’s all about Smurfette. How she gets kidnapped (again) and rescued (again!) and how Papa Smurf (Patinkin here, Jonathan Winters in the other two) grounds her, Clumsy (McBrayer), Hefty (Manganiello) and Brainy (Pudi) for disobeying him. But they do it again, to stop the evil advances of Gargamel on a “lost village” in the forbidden forest.
Kids, these days, I tell you…
What's hot:
If you’re a grown-up, very little, actually. This one is for the kids only. It’s puerile to the core and I guess some kids don’t know any better. But the animation is top-of-the-line, no slouching there. The lost village is every bit as wonderful and many splendored as one would expect something of mystery to be. But...
What's not:
Yes, Smurfette is the rebel every daughter wants to be, living on her own terms, discovering things for herself, etc. But it does get kinda weird after a while that Smurfette is the only girl Smurf in Smurf village and nobody thinks that’s not normal. The voice cast reads like a B-List. Throughout. Well, maybe with the exception of Julia Roberts. But to tell you what part she plays, would ask for a spoiler alert. Clearly, the gags test your patience and are not on par with the first two films -- which, by the way, don’t fit in this one’s timeline. And the climax is so derivative, it would make a kung-fu panda wonder if it was a deja vu, if you catch my drift.
What to do:
The animation aside, the film has nothing going for it. Some things are lost for a reason and should stay lost. Not worth the 3-D outing (if you’re thinking of opting for that one).
Rating: ** (2 Stars)
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 "Smurfs: The Lost Village")
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