Smurfs: The Lost Village

There's little here for accompanying parents or older siblings. And the film never does figure out what the smurfing point of Smurfette is.

Smurfs: The Lost Village resets the film franchise, but the movie -- despite some nice insight about Smurfette -- feels more made-for-TV than worthy of a 3D upcharge.

Smurfs: The Lost Village is easy to sit through, and I know I'm repeating myself here but, once again, young children are likely going to be delighted with the film in ways they never were with either of its live action ancestors.

Smurfs: The Lost Village undercuts its central plot by suggesting that Smurfette's identity isn't about her self-discoveries as much as how the male Smurfs perceive her.

It's a candy-coated sugar rush, though its mind-numbing repetitiveness (and haphazardly-written screenplay) will likely test even the most patient parent.

They blue it.

If you have younger children who have not yet been exposed to Smurfs culture, this would be an excellent jumping-in point.

The overall feel is a throwback to those days back in the 1980s when I could grab some cereal and watch tv while the rest of the house was still sleeping.

A fair school holidays pick for the little'uns.

[Smurfs: The Lost Village] is a film that's family-friendly as far as that goes, but ultimately of little interest to anyone other than young children and Smurf completists.