Smurfs: The Lost Village

Smurfs: The Lost Village is a 2017 American 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure comedy film, produced by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation and The Kerner Entertainment Company, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It is based on The Smurfs comic book series created by Belgian comics artist Peyo and is a reboot of Sony's previous live-action/animated films. It was written by Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon and directed by Kelly Asbury, and stars the voices of Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Mandy Patinkin, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Michelle Rodriguez, Ellie Kemper, Ariel Winter, Meghan Trainor, and Julia Roberts. In the film, a mysterious map prompts Smurfette, Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty to find a lost village before Gargamel does.

The Lost Village was released on April 7, 2017, to mixed reviews from critics. It grossed over $197 million worldwide.

Plot
In Smurf Village, the Smurfs live peacefully among themselves and their leader is Papa Smurf. Some of the Smurfs include Clumsy Smurf, Brainy Smurf, Hefty Smurf and Smurfette, who was created by Gargamel from a lump of clay, but redeemed by Papa Smurf and became part of the village. Gargamel makes it his mission to capture the Smurfs, steal all of their essence, and become the most powerful wizard in the world.

After Smurfette accidentally breaks an invention by Brainy, she sees a blue creature hidden by a leaf and follows it straight into the Forbidden Forest, believing the creature to be a Smurf. She loses sight of the creature but discovers a hat was dropped by the possible Smurf. Smurfette ends up being captured by Gargamel and at his castle, she ends up inadvertently revealing the hat, enabling Gargamel to mix up a brew that causes him to locate the village on a map. Soon enough Hefty, Brainy, and Clumsy help Smurfette escape and return to Smurf Village, where Papa Smurf punishes them for disobeying his orders and confines them to their houses while dismissing their claims of a lost village filled with Smurfs.

Smurfette sneaks out into the night to look for the lost village, however, and Brainy, Clumsy, and Hefty volunteer to come with her. Smurfette agrees to let them join her and together the four enter the Forbidden Forest. Gargamel soon discovers them trying to find the lost village and heads out with Azrael and Monty to stop them.

The four follow the map and end up in various adventures, all while encountering bizarre creatures; the four encounter a colony of fire-breathing dragonflies, where Gargamel follows them and tries to have them killed by having the dragonflies attack them. Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty and Clumsy survive, but then end up getting lost in a maze of caverns, where they eventually get out thanks to a stampede of glow-in-the-dark rabbits. The four then head off to a river and sail on a handmade raft along the river to get to the lost village, but then they encounter Gargamel, Azrael, and Monty again. Following a brief chase, Gargamel is thrown out of his own raft, so Hefty and Smurfette convince the others to help save him. They do so, but instead of thanking them, he pushes them out of their raft, leaving them to plunge down a waterfall.

Meanwhile, back at Smurf Village, Papa Smurf tries to reconcile with Smurfette over his actions on the previous night but soon discovers she, Brainy, Hefty, and Clumsy are gone, so he sets out to find them and set things right with them. The four are soon captured by the leaf-covered creature along with a few others who reveal themselves to be female Smurfs. They are taken to Smurfy Grove where they meet Smurf Willow, Smurf Storm, Smurf Blossom, Smurf Lily (the smurf from earlier) and Smurf Melody, who all welcome the Smurfs to their humble home. Smurf Storm and Clumsy head away from the village to locate Gargamel and alert the others. During the trip, Clumsy reveals that Smurfette was created by Gargamel, which causes Smurf Storm to distrust Smurfette. Gargamel, who was led into a piranha-infested swamp, spots Clumsy and Smurf Storm, and has Monty attack them, but they fly away to return to the village.

After a while of showing them what they do, Smurf Storm and Clumsy come back with her telling Smurfette was created by Gargamel. The female Smurfs prepare an attack that night but instead of Gargamel, Papa Smurf appears, and the female Smurfs accept him into their home. Soon, Gargamel comes and destroys Smurfy Grove, capturing all the Smurfs, with the exception of Smurfette, who is now alone, feeling heartbroken for her actions. However, Snappy shows her a picture of her and the others, and realizing she is not a real Smurf, heads back to Gargamel's lair to save the Smurfs.

At Gargamel's lair, Brainy makes a plan to escape. Papa Smurf hears their plan and he and Smurf Willow decide to help them. Hefty, Brainy, Clumsy, and some of the female Smurfs succeed at the plan until Gargamel and Azrael spot them and put some of the female Smurfs and Clumsy into his Smurfilator, a machine capable of extracting their essence. Smurfette appears, tricking Gargamel into believing she wants to be an evil smurf again. When Gargamel tries to turn Smurfette into an evil smurf, he realizes Smurfette is absorbing his magic powers instead. Gargamel, Azrael, and Monty are sent flying back into the piranha-infested lake. The Smurfs are freed but despite their victory, Smurfette has reverted back to a lifeless lump of clay.

Back at Smurf Village, the Smurfs make a memorial for Smurfette. Their energy and love for Smurfette revives her, and everybody happily celebrates. Smurf Village and Smurfy Grove rejoice in their new unity; in the end, Smurfette finally finds her purpose and most of all, a true-blue Smurf.

During the end credits, Gargamel, Azrael, and Monty are walking back to their castle with Gargamel feeling angry in his failure to kill the Smurfs, and complaining the credits in front of them.

Voice cast

 * Demi Lovato as Smurfette, a girl smurf who was created by the wizard Gargamel. Surrounded by male Smurfs who each have a clear role in the village, she becomes curious about her own purpose.
 * Rainn Wilson as Gargamel, an evil wizard who seeks to find the Smurfs and steal their magic in order to become the greatest evil wizard in the world.
 * Mandy Patinkin as Papa Smurf, the fatherly Smurf chief leader of Smurf Village who does not want his charges entering the Forbidden Forest. Patinkin also narrates the film.
 * Joe Manganiello as Hefty Smurf, a strong Smurf who has a crush on Smurfette.
 * Jack McBrayer as Clumsy Smurf, an accident-prone Smurf who tends to panic.
 * Danny Pudi as Brainy Smurf, a book-smart Smurf who butts heads with Hefty.
 * Julia Roberts as Smurfwillow, the motherly Smurf leader of Smurfy Grove and Papa Smurf's love interest.
 * Michelle Rodriguez as Smurfstorm, a tough female Smurf who doesn't trust Smurfette.
 * Ellie Kemper as Smurfblossom, an energetic female Smurf who quickly befriends Smurfette.
 * Ariel Winter as Smurflily, a smart and gentle female Smurf.
 * Meghan Trainor as Smurfmelody, a musical female Smurf.
 * Jake Johnson as Grouchy Smurf, a Smurf who is always grouchy.
 * Gordon Ramsay as Baker Smurf, a Smurf who bakes cakes.
 * Tituss Burgess as Vanity Smurf, a Smurf who is obsessed with his looks.
 * Gabriel Iglesias as Jokey Smurf, a Smurf that plays pranks on others.
 * Jeff Dunham as Farmer Smurf, a Smurf who is a farmer.
 * Kelly Asbury as Nosey Smurf, a Smurf who peeks in on private activities.
 * Alan Mechem as Passerby Smurf
 * Patrick Ballin as Patient Smurf, who is seen in a session with the silent Therapist Smurf, and Frank the Caterpillar, who works as a masseuse in Smurfy Grove.
 * Bret Marnell as Snappy Bug, Brainy's ladybug assistant.
 * Melissa Sturm as Smurfjade, a female Smurf.
 * Frank Welker as Azrael, Gargamel's pet cat.
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Monty, Gargamel's pet vulture.

Development
On May 10, 2012, just two weeks after they announced production of The Smurfs 2, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation were already developing a script for The Smurfs 3 with scribes Karey Kirkpatrick and Chris Poche. Hank Azaria, who played Gargamel in the first two films, revealed that the third film "might actually deal with the genuine origin of how all these characters ran into each other way back when." It was later confirmed that plans for a second sequel had been folded, with a completely computer-animated reboot being produced instead.

Kelly Asbury was confirmed to have been hired to direct the film in March 2014. The plotline was also revealed with the film exploring the origins of the Smurfs, and also the news that the film would feature a new take on the characters, with designs and environments more closely following the artwork created by Peyo, the creator of the Smurfs franchise.

Jordan Kerner was hired as producer, with Mary Ellen Bauder co-producing; Asbury was already confirmed as the film's director. On June 14, 2015, Sony Pictures Animation confirmed the original title of Get Smurfy, along with a first look at the film. On February 12, 2016, it was confirmed that the film had been retitled to Smurfs: The Lost Village. Sony, LStar Capital and Wanda Pictures co-financed the film.

Casting
On January 16, 2015, Mandy Patinkin was added to the cast of the animated adventure film to voice Papa Smurf, who was previously voiced by Jonathan Winters in the live-action/CGI films. On June 14, 2015, Demi Lovato was revealed as the voice of Smurfette, and Rainn Wilson as Gargamel. Since the release of The Smurfs 2 in 2013, two of the Smurfs voice actors from the previous franchise had died, Jonathan Winters who voiced Papa Smurf, and Anton Yelchin, who voiced Clumsy Smurf.

Music
In October 2016, it was confirmed that Christopher Lennertz would be composing the score for the film. In December 2016, it was reported that singer Meghan Trainor had recorded a song for the film titled "I'm a Lady", which was released as a single.

Release
The film was initially set for release on August 14, 2015, but on May 1, 2014, the reboot film's release date was pushed back to August 5, 2016. In March 2015, the release date was again pushed back to March 31, 2017. In March 2016, the release date was pushed back to April 7, 2017.

Home media
Smurfs: The Lost Village was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 11, 2017 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film debuted in second place on the Top 20 NPD VideoScan First Alert chart, behind The Fate of the Furious.

Box office
Smurfs: The Lost Village grossed $45 million in the United States and Canada and $152.2 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $197.2 million, against a production budget of $60 million.

In North America, the film opened alongside Going in Style and The Case for Christ and was projected to gross around $16–20 million in the opening weekend from 3,602 theaters. It ended up opening to $13.2 million, marking the lowest debut of the Smurfs franchise and finishing 3rd at the box office.

Critical response
Smurfs: The Lost Village received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 38% based on 85 reviews and an average rating of 4.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Smurfs: The Lost Village may satisfy very young viewers and hardcore Smurfaholics, but its predictable story and bland animation continue the franchise's recent mediocre streak." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score 40 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, an improvement over the "A–" score earned by both previous Smurfs films.

Alonzo Duralde of TheWrap wrote, "It's significant that two female writers have taken a character who's mainly just existed to be cute and seductive and turned her into a full-fledged member of this universe." Owen Glieberman of Variety said, "It's a pure digital fantasy, with elegant and tactile animation, so it's more true to the Smurf spirit, and should perform solidly."

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Smurfs: The Lost Village is a mediocre effort that nonetheless succeeds in its main goal of keeping its blue characters alive for future merchandising purposes."