This repurposed tale of romance amid feuding families is given a bit of a twist
by using garden gnomes and lawn decorations.
The gnomes reside in adjacent yards separated only
by fences and an alley. The families have been feuding for as long as they have
existed, trying to best each other's yards and occasionally dueling in lawnmower
races. Of course, humans have no clue that lawn and garden ornaments come to
life when they aren't looking, a bit reminiscent of Toy Story, but not nearly as
good.
We only see the homeowners two or three times, and
when we do see them, it is fairly obvious they don't like each other and are
also in competition.
The ongoing competition is heated but still docile, for the most part. The reds
(Juliet's family) seem to a bit more aggressive then the blues (Gnomeo's clan).
Eager to prove her worth to her father, who is also
the leader of the reds, Juliet attempts to bring home a rare flower from a
nearby neutral yard. By happenstance, Gnomeo winds up in the same neutral yard
after almost being caught while attempting to tag the red's yard with graffiti.
When they meet, they are both incognito, allowing them each to be themselves and
subsequently sharing a mutual attraction.
It becomes a problem once the costumes are lost and
they realize they are enemies.
Although it's a subpar version of "Toy Story," this animated feature is loaded
with British talent. James McAvoy and Emily Blunt lend their voices as Gnomeo &
Juliet. Gnomeo's red nemesis, Tybalt, is voiced by Jason Statham.
Tybalt's sidekick is a fawn that is voiced
surprisingly well by Ozzy Osbourne. Patrick Stewart shows a bit of humor as a
statue of William Shakespeare. Hulk Hogan even has a voiceover roll in a
commercial for the most intimidating lawnmower on the market, The
Terrafirminator.
Even this commercial is only another reminder of a
similar one airing in "Toy Story."
The story tries to hold true to Romeo and Juliet, but adds jokes that fall flat
and some unnecessary 3D effects. During their bonding time on neutral ground,
Gnomeo & Juliet free Featherstone a larger-than-life pink flamingo with a
Spanish accent that helps guide them on their journey of love.
This one is hardly a hit, but a nice diversion for
kids.
2 out of 4 buckets
