Not gonna lie, the trailer for this actually made me laugh out loud (in a good way). Unlike the previous two Smurf movies (exactly which part of the nineties did they escape from and is it at all possible to send them back because I don’t think it was the good part?), the entire thing is animated and thank heavens for that.
Starring Ariel Winter, Michelle Rodriguez and Julia Roberts, along with Joe Manganiello and Demi Lovato, it looks to be an attempt to explain why Smurfette is the only girl living in the village, a legitimate question that I’m sure all male Smurfs everywhere are particularly keen to have answered. When Smurfette sees someone who looks like a Smurf but isn’t from the village, a “mysterious” map leads her and three of her friends (Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty) on “an exciting race through the Forbidden Forest leading to the biggest secret in Smurf history”. From the trailer, it’s not exactly hard to guess what that “secret” might be; one gives the whole thing away, in fact, leaving you wondering whether there’s actually any point in going to see the movie now.
The movie franchise has already grossed $900 million globally and Smurfs: the Lost Village is set to be released on March 31 (Depending on location). The fully-animated film, returning to the style and tone of the original comic books is sure to be a welcome development for fans. And it looks gorgeous. The new film is a riot of psychedelic color as the Smurfs explore a whole new world outside the village, populated by weird and wonderful bioluminescent flora and previous unknown creatures, some of which are suspiciously Smurf-like. It also features Danny Pudi of Community fame, which is never a bad thing. I feel like Abed would have a lot to say about Smurf movies, although I’m not sure he’d approve.
It’s nice to see more female roles in a franchise with a traditionally male cast, although it’s hard to say that this means anything, given that it’s the Smurfs. Cute and funny, yes. Blue, yes. Highbrow entertainment providing roles models to young girls, maybe not so much. Hopefully this will go as well as or better than the criminally underrated and overlooked masterpiece that is Moana and at least do something for female representation in Hollywood animations.
Some of the cast of Smurfs: the Lost Village (Demi Lovato, Joe Manganiello and Mandy Patinkin) joined officials from the United Nations, UNICEF and United Nations Foundation at the UN Headquarters in New York on March 18, to celebrate the International Day of Happiness and put their support behind the Sustainable Development Goals. This was part of the #SmallSmurfsBigGoals campaign, which, in addition to having a cute hashtag, is designed to encourage young people to learn about and support the seventeen goals adopted by world leaders at the UN in 2015.
Are you looking forward to Smurfs: the Lost Village? Let us know!
