The doomed lovers� influence has even carried over into the animated world, most notably with Disney�s own Pocahontas. Their latest toon incarnation is Gnomeo & Juliet (in theaters now, in both 2-D and 3-D versions), where they are embodied by (you guessed it) garden gnomes.

The more culturally snobbish may look down their noses at such a �blasphemous� idea, but Gnomeo & Juliet is actually a charming little fairy tale perfect for children and, smartly, the script is laced with many sly nods to the Shakespearean canon (referencing everything from �Out, damned spot!� to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) to keep their parents entertained as well during its quick running time.

The story unfolds in the adjoining backyards of a Mr. Capulet (voiced by Richard Wilson) and a Miss Montague (Julie Walters) where the plaster pixies carry on their owners� feud, bursting to life in Toy Story fashion when the humans aren�t looking. It�s the �Reds� versus the �Blues� (based on the gnomes� color-coded costumes) and fraternizing with the enemy is strictly forbidden by the clans� respective leaders, Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine) and Lady Bluebury (Maggie Smith).

Hewing closely at first to the plot of �Romeo and Juliet�, the Blues� favorite son Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and the Reds� pampered-against-her-will Juliet (Emily Blunt) meet unexpectedly and the proverbial sparks fly. This of course puts their budding romance on a collision course with tragedy once their families find out, albeit a fate not quite so tragic as in the original story (this is a kid�s flick, after all).

If this seems all �been there, done that�, the filmmakers are well aware of that; they even address the fact that this has all been seen �many� many times� before in an amusing prologue. To compensate for the over-familiarity, director Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2) keeps the action at a brisk pace, and expertly (and wisely) recruited a (mostly) British cast that rivals a Harry Potter movie.