With a better screenplay, ”Gnomeo & Juliet” could have been a great movie; however, despite its great graphics and exciting concept, this is a mediocre movie.

Plot
On Verona street, two houses are situated next to each other, one inhabited by Mr Capulet, the other by Mrs Montague. Sounds familiar? Yes, it’s a new version of the classic tale of Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare’s immortal play. This time, the main characters are gnomes, in an animated version especially designed for a young audience.

Juliet’s family are red gnomes, while Romeo’s family is blue. When human beings aren’t around, the garden gnomes come to life. The two gnome families are separated by just a fence, and they constantly play tricks, compete and take revenge on each other. In fact, the two families hate each other.

But then, Gnomeo and Juliet meet by chance, and fall head over heels in love. From this point on, the conflicts and intrigues escalate, leading towards the well-known ending; though, a children’s film cannot end this way, can it?

Quality and Theme
Two questions come to mind when watching this movie. How familiar are children of today with old-fashioned garden gnomes? And, more importantly, how can a love story with such a tragic ending be adapted to suit a young audience? The filmmakers solve these problems in a very good way; the gnomes are cute and superbly animated, and the drama concerning the love story has been toned down. As a result, Shapespeare’s play has been turned into an ordinary story of two lovers who have to overcome great troubles to be able to be together.

As mentioned, the graphics are excellent. As well as this, Elton John’s music is great and very well suited to the movie. On the other hand, even though the movie is supposed to be a comedy, it isn’t particularly funny, which is quite remarkable seeing that it took nine screenwriters to adapt Shakespeare’s play. In terms of the movie's message, it deals with the power of love and its destructive forces in a very good way.

Compared to similar animation movies, such as the Toy Story and Shrek movies, “Gnomeo & Juliet”, unfortunately, is not of the same quality.

Suitability
“Gnomeo & Juliet” has a G rating and is well suited for the entire family. Some scenes are quite dramatic, especially the one where the gnomes’ gardens are threatened by a monster lawn mower. The very youngest might appreciate having an adult nearby during these sequences.

Conclusion
”Gnomeo & Juliet” provides decent entertainment; still, it is a mediocre movie in terms of overall quality.

Facts

Director: Kelly Asbury Genre: Comedy Voices: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas, Jim Cummings, Maggie Smith and more Nationality: United Kingdom/USA Production Company: Rocket Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures Length: 1h 24mins Production Year: 2011 Rating: G Suitability: Family

Our Assessment: OK

Other reviews:

New York Times

Los Angeles Times