“Smurfs: The Lost Village” looks great but lacks an equally great story.
Hollywood has given the Smurfs the proverbial reboot and every penny of its reported $60mill budget is up there on the screen with its vivid production design. If only the storytelling was given as much attention. While the Smurf characters have their charms, and the vocals of stars Mandy Patinkin, Demi Lovato and Jack McBrayer are strong, the film’s narrative gets bogged down by kid movie clichés, hoary blue word play, and exhaustingly frenetic action. If only the show stopped to breathe occasionally. Worse yet, the treatment of its lead Smurfette skirts too close to sexism. It’s enough to make even a Smurf turn red from embarrassment.