Film Review – Smurfs: The Lost Village

For almost 60 years, “The Smurfs” has developed into a brand name for children’s entertainment, beginning life as a Belgian comic book series, but perhaps best known as a cartoon from the 1980s that launched the little blue creatures to worldwide fame. Hollywood took its time devising a big screen blockbuster for the source material, and 2011’s “The Smurfs” was a massive hit, conquering the box office with unexpected speed, making the possibility of a sequel a certainty. Unfortunately, 2013’s “The Smurfs 2” wasn’t able to match the success of the original film, with audiences likely turned off by the CG-animated/live action approach, making two efforts more about dopey humans than the titular characters. Sony Pictures Animation is looking to return the franchise to its roots, ditching Neil Patrick Harris for a fully animated endeavor, positioning “Smurfs: The Lost Village” as a back-to-basics production, keeping focus on the Smurf community. However, not all problems are solved by the new creative direction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com