Smurfs: The Lost Village | Film review - A breezy cartoon adventure

A whole new world awaits.

Those cheery little blue creatures the Smurfs get a fully computer-animated adventure, Smurfs: The Lost Village, and it’s a distinct improvement on their last two part-live-action/part-animated movies.

True, the animation doesn’t have the depth and richness of Pixar, and neither do the story or characters. But the film’s bright colours and breezy spirit will be more than enough to keep young children and diehard Smurf fans entertained. Others will approve the film’s gentle nod in favour of girl power as Smurfette (voiced by Demi Lovato) sets off with her friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty to foil the fiendish schemes of evil wizard Gargamel (Rainn Wilson).

Along the way, there is a sprinkling of nice visual and verbal gags. And a solution to the mystery of whether or not Smurfette really is the only girl Smurf.

Certificate U. Runtime 88 mins. Director Kelly Asbury

Smurfs: The Lost Village debuts on Sky Cinema Premiere on 16 September. Available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu1qZCG6Yo8

A film critic for over 25 years, Jason admits the job can occasionally be glamorous – sitting on a film festival jury in Portugal; hanging out with Baz Luhrmann at the Chateau Marmont; chatting with Sigourney Weaver about The Archers – but he mostly spends his time in darkened rooms watching films. He’s also written theatre and opera reviews, two guide books on Rome, and competed in a race for Yachting World, whose great wheeze it was to send a seasick film critic to write about his time on the ocean waves. But Jason is happiest on dry land with a classic screwball comedy or Hitchcock thriller.