Amediocre road to Gnome
This and esque tale does offer sporadic fun, with plenty of slapstick and inventive swearword substitutions for the kids and nods to classic Conan Doyle tales, and even the most recent iteration of
SHERLOCK GNOMES (G, 86 MINS) DIRECTED BY JOHN STEVENSON
Seven years after Gnomeo& Juliet, the porcelain pair and their pals are back for another adventure.
This time, the action shifts from Stratford to London, as our dynamic duo prepare to take control of their new garden. But the pressure starts taking a toll on their relationship, with Gnomeo (James McAvoy) finding Juliet (Emily Blunt) not quite as attentive as she once was.
At froggy friend Nannette’s (Ashley Jensen) suggestion, he decides to rectify things with a visit to the florist across the road. But while he’s away, something terrible happens – all the rest of the ornamental clan are kidnapped.
Fortunately, he is able to call on the services of the ‘‘sworn protector of London’s garden gnomes’’. If anyone can solve the case in time, it’s Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp). With the help of Gnome Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), he quickly finds a clue – one that suggests it’s the work of his old adversary, Moriarty.
The pernicious pie mascot was presumed dead in a National History Museum mishap, but this ‘‘Sistine Chapel of evil plans’’ (naturally needlessly complicated) bears his unmistakable calling card. Or does it?
Despite some impressive visuals (the animated gnomes have a satisfying porcelainity about them and there’s a nice use of a different animation style for Sherlock’s ‘‘mind palace’’) and a vocal cast to die for (everyone from Michael Caine and Matt Lucas to Maggie Smith and Mary J Blige), you have to feel some sympathy for director John Stevenson ( Kung Fu Panda).
Not only is he saddled with the cobbled-together script by five writers, he also has to try to make this cadre of superstar-voiced Smurf-like characters more than one-dimensional, shoehorn as many tunes by producer Elton John into the action and try to overcome the curse of Depp’s British accent (something that has dogged movies from Sweeney Todd to From Hell).
I must admit I struggled not to laugh out loud when his chastened Sherlock was forced to mutter, ‘‘I must treat my partner better’’, after all the revelations of the past few years.
That aside though, this Flushed Away and Nut Job 2- esque tale does offer sporadic fun, with plenty of slapstick and inventive swear-word substitutions for the kids and nods to Vertigo, classic Conan Doyle tales, and even the most recent iteration of Sherlock, for adults. Solid, but unspectacular school holiday entertainment.
– James Croot