Director: Kelly Asburg
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Duration: 90 minutes
Smurfs: The Lost Village (Blu-ray) – Movies Review
One of the popular franchises for children is, next to Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, The Smurfs. These blue little fellas have been around for a while now and they never tend to disappoint. Their never-ending battle with the sorcerer Gargamel and his cat Azreal continue to go on, even in this new movie. But, are the Smurfs the only blue creatures that roam the forests?
As you might or might not know, the Smurfs are all males except for one exception: Smurfette (Demi Lovato). Everyone has their purpose in town and they excel in one ability. Brainy Smurf (Danny Pudi) has the latest inventions and knows a ton of information while Hefty Smurf (Joe Manganiello) likes to use his muscles instead. Don’t forget Clumsy (Jack McBrayer) and Grouchy (Jake Johnson) of course, with Papa Smurf (Mandy Patinkin) leading the whole town.
Smurfette on the other hand doesn’t have a real purpose and most of the things she attempts, fail miserably. As she isn’t a ‘real’ Smurf, it might be related to that. When Clumsy, Brainy, Hefty and Smurfette want to have some fun, they get in contact with something strange, namely a small unknown critter that scurries behind the wall where the Smurfs aren’t allowed to go. As you can guess, this is the start of quite an adventure, where Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) and Azrael (Frank Welker) also have an important part.
As this is an animation movie, the flow of the movie is less pronounced. Yes, some time goes by, but the focus lies more on the humor and the story. At the start of the movie, you might feel like there are too many obvious jokes, which makes it actually less fun than when they’re less pronounced. Parents, there are also some more ‘adult’ puns in there so don’t worry about falling asleep while watching this together with your kids. The animations are nicely done and it stays close to the source material. You will recognise some of the typical features, like the different colorful muchrooms or the rather cartoonish looking surroundings. It really pops on your screen and it will take you back to your childhood in an instant.
The story itself might be predictable at times, but it still tends to grab you and keep you interested until the end. It’s something in the same line as the previous films, although this movie is purely animated and not mingled with real-life images. All of the stars in this film react how they should and if you watched the Smurfs when you were young, you will be teleported back in a jiffy. Of course, there can’t be spoken of acting (although the different Smurfs do a great job) but the voice acting is what is the most important part of this animation. They tried to find fitting voices with loads of emotions and the found the perfect people. Demi Lovato is the perfect Smurfette, with the emotions just being very convincible and convey properly with the animations. The same can be said from Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer and Danny Pudi, which all have perfect voices to listen to and really fit their characters. It is kind of weird to see which actors are behind the toons, but you’ll surely like what the film has to offer.
If you were hoping for some extras, you’re in for a treat. There are several extras to explore, like the making of the village and getting the right actors while there are also deleted scenes and filmmaker commentary. The lost auditions gives you several auditions from actors that were applying for a different role, while Demi Lovato also meets Smurfette for a short interview. Children will surely like the added nail art, dance moves, drawing several Smurfs and cooking in a mini kitchen but there are also some trailers and the clip from the theme song. A lot to discover but from how everything is brought, it’s clear that it was meant for children. It’s still a fun addition though.
Conclusion
The Smurfs: The Lost Village takes you on another adventure where blue is the main color. Smurfette will show you what she’s worth, together with her friends. There are more than enough extras to keep you or your children occupied for a while, which certainly is a great extra. The story will keep you interested, so relax and enjoy what this franchise has to offer.
Smurfs: The Lost Village (Blu-ray) - Movies Review,
No Comments