It's hard to argue against The Smurfs coming back, in theory. There's something timeless about Peyo's miniature Blue Man Group and their classical European setting, while their cartoon has an innocence that makes it still a good watch for kids nowadays. While a resurrection isn't preferable to something new and equally creative, when the likes of Home are stinking up cinemas something with such nice origins is hard to rebuke. After two films of Neil Patrick Harris gurning at CGI things, Sony have finally realised what everyone else had before the first film - a CGI/live-action mash-up didn't really fit The Smurfs - and are now planning the second reboot this decade, hoping to turn the franchise's fortune's around by keeping things close to the mushroom home. The currently untitled reboot (put your money on The Spectacular Smurfs) due in 2017 will keep things totally in the computer and go full CG. Now that sounds like a step in the right direction, but it's really more of a slight shuffle. The show worked because it was imbued with the same visual style as the original cartoons and creatively overseen by its creator. It was, essentially, an extension of the original idea. Having a bunch of blue CGI characters running round a glade doesn't immediately guarantee that - what makes it distinct from Avatar Kids? Yes, 2D animation is costly and timely, but when that's the point of the whole thing isn't it worth it? Worst of all, like a disproportionate number of reboots on this list, this is purportedly going to be something of an origin story for Papa Smurf and co. Because the Batman Begins treatment is just what The Smurfs need.
