For those who have never seen one of the millions of adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, this week is a look back at the animated retelling of forbidden love set in the world of garden gnomes.
Logline
In the little town of Stratford-upon-Avon, two neighbors named Montague and Capulet, hate each other. Their dislike has transferred to their garden gnomes, and when the neighbors are away, the gnomes like to fight and play.
Amidst the turmoil of the gnome war, one red and one blue, fall in love with each other. Separated by a fence, but brought together by chance, Gnomeo of the blue gnomes, and Juliet of the red are in love. They meet secretly, and though they are taught to dislike each other, it’s hard to follow the family doctrine. A competitive battle between their parents could end their romance and bring destruction for the gnomes.
Gnomeo is banished after causing his rival lawnmower racer (yes, they race lawnmowers) Tybalt to crash and be smashed against a wall.
Forced out, Gnomeo must come to terms with what happened, and try to bring the warring neighbors together, so that he can be with Juliet.
High Praise
The voice cast is excellent. Even Jason Statham sounds perfect as Tybalt.
They lean heavily into Shakespeare and the references are fun little easter eggs to collect as you watch the movie. English literature fans will love paying close attention to all the small details.
Patrick Stewart as the talking statue of Shakespeare was a great choice. The humor is perfect, and the sarcasm is an excellent exchange in the film.
Romeo & Juliet is extremely popular, and the play has been on the silver screen and the Broadway stage countless times. This reimagining is a brilliant twist, and a very wise choice to help the film stand out from the original work.
What Were They Thinking
I have no complaints. Gnomeo & Juliet is a lot of fun.
Backlot Knowledge
- The movie was nominated for multiple Annie Awards.
- Elton John was a producer on the film and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Song with ‘Hello, Hello’.
- The movie is filled with cameos including Hulk Hogan, Dolly Parton, and Patrick Stewart.
- The pink flamingo that Jim Cummings voices is named after the original creator of the pink flamingo ornament, Don Featherstone.
- There are multiple references to Shakespeare and his works throughout the film, everything from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Hamlet and The Tempest.
- The story takes place in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
- The composer James Newton Howard used to tour with Elton John as his keyboardist.
- Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet were originally attached to star in the film when it was initially announced.
- This is the only Touchstone Pictures film to receive a G rating.
- The script started off as a spec script sold to Disney.
- The movie opened in third place behind Justin Bieber’s concert film and the Adam Sandler comedy Just Go With It.
- A sequel to the film, Sherlock Gnomes, was released in 2018, but was not released by Disney.
Critical Response
{Snub-Skip this Film, Overexposed-Desperate for Something to Watch, Clapper-A Perfect Film For Any Device, Magic Hour– You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Award Worthy– This Film is Cinema.}
Gnomeo & Juliet is a fun filled tale that takes the original work and pluses it in all the right ways.
For the sheer joy I had watching the movie, Gnomeo & Juliet gets the Clapper Award. It would be hard to dislike this film and is the perfect film for any screen.
Best Quotable Line
A weed by any other name is still a weed.
Call Sheet
- James McAvoy as Gnomeo
- Emily Blunt as Juliet
- Maggie Smith as Lady Bluebury
- Michael Caine as Lord Redbrick
- Julie Walters as Miss Montague
- Jim Cummings as Featherstone
- Jason Statham as Tybalt
Production Team:
Directed by Kelly Asbury
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Rocket Pictures
Written by Andy Riley / Kevin Cecil / Mark Burton
Release Date: February 11, 2011
Budget: $36 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $99,967,670
Worldwide Box Office Total: $193,983,876
Coming Attractions
Next week, a look back at I Am Number Four. Thankfully, there are no sequels to this one.