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Shalini Singh
Shalini Singh

SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE

An entertaining fare for kids

The film is largely about good triumphing over evil, led by girl power

Women power is everywhere, including in this 89-minute animation, which is the third after the 2011 and 2013 Smurfs films. The blue-hued creatures—each with their unique talent, ability or quirk—reside in Smurfs village under Papa Smurf's (Mandy Patinkin) kindly but over-the-top protective eye. Smurfette (Demi Lovato)is the only— blonde, if you please—girl among them who feels out of place. She is not a 'real' Smurf since the resident evil wizard Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) fashioned her out of clay so she could lead him to the Smurfs for him to capture and draw his power from. On a day of smurfboarding, brave Smurfette, klutzy Clumsy (Jack McBrayer), brawny Hefty (Joe Manganiello) and whizkid Brainy (Danny Pudi) chance upon a lost village whose residents they must warn before Gargamel with his pets, a Smart Alec cat, Azrael, and vulture, Monty, get to them.

The adventure led by Smurfette's noble intentions, draws upon Brainy's smarts, Hefty's strength and Clumsy's accidents and leads them through a trippy wonderland—spitting fire dragonflies laying shiny colourful eggs, big playful anthropomorphic yellow flowers, a river that flows in dangerous criss-crosses, giant glow bunnies that neigh like horses, caterpillars who give grumpy Swedish massages—is reminiscent of the psychedelics in the 2016 Trolls film.

smurfs-3

The film is largely about good triumphing over evil, led by girl power. A self-contained village of boy smurfs is met with a self-contained grove of girl smurfs, led by the warm Smurf Willow (Julia Roberts) and when she locks eyes and smarts with Papa Smurf, you know she is going to be the Mamma. Grouchy Smurf and Nosy Smurf, Snappy Bug (Brainy's ladybug assistant who is symbolic of a smartphone) add to the funny moments in the film.

The gender equality message comes through in the end with Hefty and co pointing out that girls can be anything they want to be and the larger message—similar to the Trolls—about love resurrecting people from 'clay' aka dead is shown by collective hand-holding and energy emittance.

A feel-good film with the right formula, Smurfs: The Lost Village, is an entertaining fare for the kids, but with not much that lingers or says anything new for the adults.

Film: Smurfs: The Lost Village

Director: Kelly Asbury

Cast: Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Mandy Patinkin, Julia Roberts

Rating: 2.5/5

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Topics : #Hollywood

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