How do you introduce young kids to Shakespeare? “Gnomeo & Juliet” has a good idea: tell the story with garden gnomes! And change the ending, of course. But that’s not such a bad thing.
Trading heavily on the Great Bard’s famous play “Romeo and Juliet,” that has been done over and over, “Gnomeo & Juliet” is one of the most charming and kid-friendly animated offerings in quite a while. Where other computer generated animated features often try ackwardly to draw in older audiences with mature references that can fly over the heads of younger viewers, “Gnomeo” targets youngsters perfectly and surprisingly without pretense. And older viewers might find the G-rated laughs a fresh break from the trend. I know I sure did!
The story here is well-known with “star-crossed lovers” becoming a part of our lexicon. But in this telling of the Shakespearean tragedy we have two families of garden gnomes locked in a bitter feud. The clever setting has the warring families neighbors with two yards separated by a great fence. The owners of the yards share the gnomes dislike for one another, which feeds the feud that has been raging for some time. Gnomeo (James McAvoy) is the young leader of the Montegues (the Blues) and is consumed with besting a rough young gnome Tybalt (Jason Statham) of the Capulet clan (the Reds). Their conflict comes to a head following a lawmower race. But things get much more complicated when Gnomeo falls for Juliet (Emily Blunt), the daughter of the Red leader Lord Capulet (Michael Caine). A dangerous romance smolders while the families engage in an ever escalating battle for garden supremacy.
The charm of “Gnomeo & Juliet” cannot be understated. Without devolving into a case of the cutes, the story manages to develop the characters meaningfully while staying reverental of the source material. And through a solid plot device Bill Shakespeare himself makes an appearance to explain how his version of the story played out. Of course, as everyone knows, it doesn’t have to end in a tragedy. And trust me, “Gnomeo & Juliet” isn’t a tragedy. As an introduction to Shakespeare, it is a decent start, so long as parents make an effort to educate their little ones.
The music in the film is a real highlight. Elton John scores the movie and even acts as a producer. His welcomed touch is everywhere. And once again, a great score and catchy tunes help drive the narrative even pulling in older toe-tapping viewers.
The delightful star-studded voice talent helps as well with the likes of Michael Caine along side Ozzy Osbourne, Dolly Parton, and even Hulk Hogan. Such an ecclectic combination is worthy watching, especially when not thrown together for a cheesy Super Bowl commercial. The appearance of so many wonderful stars lending their voices is a credit to director Kelly Asbury, whose previous works have each been nominated for the animated Oscar.
Shakespeare has never been this accessible, and “Gnomeo & Juliet” gives the youngest among us a fun and memorable introduction.