Smurfs:
The Lost Village
(2017/Sony 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)
Picture:
A/B+ Sound: A/B+ Extras: B Film: C+
The
Smurfs is one of those properties that refuses to go away, as here we
are with another entry in the franchise and the third feature length
film in recent years from Sony. At least going the full animated
route this time and keeping live action humans out of it, Smurfs:
The Lost Village
(2017) is sure to entertain small children and remind adults of the
classic cartoon series when they were younger. Aside from that,
there really isn't anything really new or groundbreaking here except
for keeping in the tradition of the property while updating it
slightly.
Smurfs:
The Lost Village
features an all-star voice cast which includes Demi Lovato (Camp
Rock
franchise) as Smurfette, Rainn Wilson (The
Office)
as Gargamel, Joe Manganiello (Magic
Mike)
as Hefty Smurf, Jack McBrayer (30
Rock)
as Clumsy Smurf, Danny Pudi (Community)
as Brainy Smurf, Michelle Rodriguez (The
Fate of the Furious)
as SmurfStorm, Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable
Kimmy Schmidt)
as SmurfBlossom, Ariel Winter (Modern
Family)
as SmurfLily, with Mandy Patinkin (Homeland),
as Papa Smurf and Julia Roberts as SmurfWillow.
When
the Smurfs uncover a mysterious map, Smurfette and her best friends
Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty embark on an exciting journey through the
Forbidden Forest; a place that is filled with magical creatures, in
an attempt to find a mysterious lost village. Of course, their
admirable foe, the evil wizard Gargamel, also has his own diabolical
scheme for the lost village as well. Who will get there first?
Presented
in 2160p with HDR (high dynamic range 10-bit color) on 4K Ultra HD
disc and a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a few impressive
lossless audio tracks including the impeccable Dolby Atmos 11.1 track
and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track as well (and, of course, several foreign
language tracks depending on your territory), which track you choose
to listen to will of course depend on your home theater specs.
Visually,
the difference between the 4K UHD disc and the (also included) 1080p
Blu-ray aren't too drastic but still noticeable. Some finer details
are found on the Smurf clothing (including hats) are a bit more
detailed as well as some of the background pieces as well. The film
is quite colorful, throwing back a bit to the animated series in
terms of style, and looks nice on both discs. Audio tracks match
both formats.
A
Digital UV copy of the film is also included.
Special
Features:
Filmmaker
Commentary
Meghan
Trainor "I'm A Lady" Music Video
The
Emoji Movie Sneak Peek
Featurettes:
"Kids
at Heart! The Making of Smurfs: The Lost Village"
"Demi
Lovato Meets Smurfette"
"Lost
Village Dance Along"
"Smurfify
Your Nails"
"Baker
Smurf's Mini Kitchen"
"How
To Draw Smurfette"
"How
To Draw Brainy"
"How
To Draw Clumsy"
"Making
The Song 'You Will Always Find Me In Your Heart'"
"The
Sound Of The Smurfs"
Deleted
Scenes (Blu-ray exclusive)
and
Featurette: (Blu-ray exclusive)
"The
Lost Auditions"
For
kids or diehard Smurfs and Smurfettes only, there isn't anything too
new in The
Lost Village
except for a few new characters and a bunch of older ones. Still,
the film is a nice test to see how the 4K UHD format handles animated
titles, and in that regard it's a pass.
For
the previous Smurfs theatrical features in 4K, try these links...
Smurfs
4K
(2011)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14834/Sesame+Street:+Elmo+&+Cookie+Mo
Smurfs
2
(2013)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14133/Alvin+and+The+Chipmunks:+The+Road+Chip+(20
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
