You may think that you’ve seen the classic William Shakespeare story ‘Romeo & Juliet’ told in every possible way, but have you ever seen it told with garden gnomes? The answer that is most likely ‘no’, and while you may be hesitant to go see the animated gnomes of ‘Gnomeo And Juliet’, you are making a big mistake if you don’t. This is one of the funniest animated films ever made and it certainly puts a new spin on the ancient tale of the doomed lovers.
Neighbour vs Neighbour, Gnome vs Gnome - The Story Of 'Gnomeo And Juliet'
In the suburbs we find Miss Montague (Julie Walters – ‘Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt 1', TV’s ‘Mo’) and Mr. Capulet (Richard Wilson – TV’S ‘The One Ronnie’ & ‘The Adventures Of Merlin’) living as neighbours but despising each other. The same can be said for their garden gnomes. Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith – ‘Nanny McPhee And The Big Bang’, TV’S ‘Downton Abbey’) rules The Blues while Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine – ‘Inception’, ‘Harry Brown’) is leader of The Reds. The two ‘families’ are constantly at war, with no love lost especially between Gnomeo (James McAvoy – ‘The Conspirator’, ‘The Last Station’) and Tybalt (Jason Statham – ‘The Mechanic’, ‘The Expendables’). With the war reaching a boiling point an unlikely (and forbidden) relationship begins between Gnomeo and Juliet (Emily Blunt – ‘The Adjustment Bureau’, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’)… and if you think you know how it is going to end than think again.
Elton John - The Genius Behind The Scenes
While Kelly Asbury (‘Shrek 2’, ‘Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron’) may be credited as the director it is in fact, producer, Elton John’s creative fingerprints that are all over this film. His music provides the backbone for a brilliant soundtrack while the creative way the story is told will win over even the most hardened critic. The film is tongue-in-cheek all the way, from the fact that it opens with a gnome admitting the story ‘has been done to death’ right up to the point when a statue of Bill Shakespeare (Patrick Stewart – TV’S ‘Family Guy’ & ‘Macbeth’) predicts how the story is going to end. But the army of screenwriters behind the scenes were smart enough to create a twist at the end, meaning the audience is constantly kept guessing.
In fact the screenwriters behind this film can only be described as absolute geniuses. The humor in this film is constant… you are laughing all the time. More importantly they have produced a film that is ‘children-friendly’ but has enough adult orientated humor to keep the whole family interested. An added element to the film is the fun of trying to work out who is voicing the characters.
Summing Up 'Gnomeo & Juliet'
You can’t help but falling in love with these little gnomes and despite the fact it is an animation you will find yourself being emotionally affected by the film. One of the funniest films you will ever see, ‘Gnomeo And Juliet’ deserves to be a surprise hit. Disney are onto something special here.
David Griffiths - Dave Griffiths is an award winning film & music journalist from Melbourne, Australia
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