Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp, Chiwitel Ejiofor, Jamie Demetriou, Mary J. Blige, Dexter Fletcher, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Matt Lucas, Ozzy Osbourne, Stephen Merchant, Richard Wilson (Voices)
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Runtime: 86 mins. Reviewed in Apr 2018
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We all know Sherlock Holmes. We have read the stories by Conan Doyle. We have seen the films, going back to the 1930s or to Basil Rathbone. We have seen a variety of actors portraying Sherlock Holmes and we have seen the television series with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. There is a certain fascination in anticipating an animated feature film where Sherlock is the protector of all the garden gnomes of London.
But, what about the children who are the target audience for this film. Do they recognise the name? Do they know anything about Sherlock Holmes? Probably not. So, what is the attraction? The filmmakers have prepared a base by making a film some years ago with the garden gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet. And Gnomeo and Juliet are here again, easing the way into the Sherlock story. Clearly, this is an opportunity for children to learn about the great detective and for parents and adults to explain and share their memories and experiences of Sherlock Holmes.
The setting is this: garden gnomes are being transferred to a London house with a very limited and scruffy garden which horrifies them. They are in the home of Lord Redbrick and Lady Blueberry (voiced momentarily by Michael Caine and Maggie Smith). When the couple go out, the garden gnomes (and a large amorous frog) come alive.
The gnome Capulets nominate in Gnomeo and Juliet as leaders of the gnomes and they work beautifying the garden. However, danger is at hand, and the gnomes are all abducted.
Who would do such a thing? Conan Doyle fans will immediately come up with the name: Moriarty. We are introduced to the clash between Sherlock and Moriarty (who appears on screen in the likeness of the baby doll). They clash in a museum where Sherlock and Dr Watson rescue some of the gnomes. The dinosaur bones collapse and Moriarty is presumed dead. Not a bit of it. He then abducts all the gnomes of London, hiding them in a cavernous area at the base of Tower Bridge, all decked out, and glued to their seats, to form a being colourful capital M.
Sherlock is, as always, self-assured, arrogant in his manner, very superior, even to Dr Watson, upsetting him with the result that Watson wants to prove himself but makes the situation worse. Gnomeo and Juliet are not abducted and they participate in tracking down the gnomes and in the rescue. Moriarty intends destruction – when the bridge opens to let shipping through, the mechanisms will go down on and crush the gnomes.
This means that there is quite a lot of action in the film, searching and sleuthing, Holmes and co aboard a large ship, a helicopter flight, two rather dumb live gargoyles, like dragons, as Moriarty’s assistants, scaling the heights of Tower Bridge, gnomes falling, soap and water to free the glued gnomes, last-minute rescues – but, Dr Watson’s walking stick having a rope and arrow to help escapes…
And, while Juliet has been very bossy, she appreciates more and more than Gnomeo’s love for her. And, Sherlock comes to his senses and apologises to Dr Watson. And as for Moriarty… will he return? (And there is also a guest appearance, courtesy of Mary J. Blige as Irene Adler, but on side this time.)
Very colourful, colourful gnomes, and lots of voices – James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, Chiwitel Ejiofor as a very dignified Dr Watson, Jamie Demetriou as Moriarty – and, rather surprisingly, Sherlock, superior accent and all, Johnny Depp voicing Holmes.
Peter Malone MSC is an Associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting.
In its opening scene, ‘Sherlock Gnomes’ steals the easiest barbs that critics could level at the fledgling ‘Gnome’ franchise, by getting a few gnomes to riff on the apparent modus operandi of their films. After being told that they’re about to hear the tale of Sherlock Holmes, they beg for alternatives based on different popular IP – ‘Game of Gnomes’ cries one, while others plead for ‘Spider-Man: Gnomecoming’ and ‘The Gnome Ranger’. This is only the second instalment after 2011’s ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’, so there are plenty more films built around gnome-related puns to be made. At this point, viewers will likely prepare themselves for a one-joke film stretched thin, but the result is surprisingly diverting. It’s hardly Pixar, but it will certainly entertain kids over the upcoming school break and might even amuse parents accompanying them.
After their owners move to a new home in London, garden gnomes Gnomeo (a roughly spoken James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt, spirited) find their burgeoning romance threatened. With the pair announced as the new leaders of their garden ornament clan, newfound responsibilities put undue pressure on their commitment to one another. In a bold attempt to repair their fractured relationship, Gnomeo decides to steal Juliet a rare orchid, but the plan is interrupted when all the other gnomes go missing. After Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and Doctor Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) show up and declare their friends kidnapped by the nefarious Moriarty (Jamie Demetriou), Gnomeo and Juliet are swept off on a crime-fighting adventure with the world’s greatest detective.
The case isn’t a particularly difficult one to crack (most adults will see the first “twist” coming, although the final reveal caught me by surprise), but the film is a serviceable introduction to the super sleuth for little ones who aren’t yet up to ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’. It helps too that the animation is surprisingly good, with bright colours and plenty of energy (I say ‘surprisingly’ because its budget was less than a third of an average Pixar film).
The new cast additions are solid too. Depp makes a decent Sherlock, working with a script that emphasises his shrewd intellect and emotional detachment over any of Conan Doyle’s more “adult” flourishes (Sherlock’s addiction, for one), and Ejiofor is a solid foil, believably downtrodden by his famous friend. The highlight of the bunch might be Jamie Demetriou, whose Moriarty is utterly demented, in a pantomime sort of way, though the character’s facial animation is decidedly unpleasant. Enjoyable cameos, from Mary J. Blige as a doll counterpart to Irene Adler to Dexter Fletcher and Javone Prince as a pair of Cockney gargoyles, add more pleasure to the mix.
The film borrows several fun music cues from Elton John, who is both an executive producer of the film and husband to its producer David Furnish, including ‘I’m Still Standing’ and ‘Saturday Night’s Alright’. One can’t deny their toe-tapping infectiousness, and director John Stevenson wisely borrows their kinetic power to carry the transitions between various story elements.
The script, written by Ben Zazove with four others sharing a story credit, throws up a lot of jokes with mixed results. They don’t always stick, but a handful are good for a grin and there’s rarely much time to dwell on the duds. It seems that most child-skewing movies released today need to impart some important lessons.; in the same way that ‘Toy Story’ might be considered a tale about valuing our friends’ differences, or ‘The Incredibles’ a lesson in family trust, ‘Sherlock Gnomes’ preaches the value of respecting partners, be they romantic or platonic. Here, Zazove does his strongest work, with several of the emotional beats traversed (as our two lead pairings break up and make up) imparting genuine swells of feeling.
Other critics have widely panned this sequel, with a common gripe being an apparent lack of reasons to exist. Given this and the non-existent reputation of the film’s animation house, no one is more surprised that I enjoyed the film than I am. The sequel has plenty of reasons to exist, and I find myself hoping that another gnome-related pun can turn this twosome into a trilogy. My enjoyment was a genuine mystery to me, but we should count ourselves lucky that ‘Sherlock Gnomes’ has taken on the case.
Callum Ryan is an associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film & Broadcasting.
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