Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
A version of Shakespeare's play, set in the world of warring indoor and outdoor gnomes. Garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find lasting happiness?
Gnomeo & Juliet is a passable but unremarkable animated comedy that leans heavily on its Shakespeare hook without doing much of interest with it. The plot is a straightforward Romeo and Juliet retelling transplanted into a garden-gnome setting, which provides some surface novelty but little narrative depth or surprise. The voice cast (James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine) delivers competent, charming work that elevates the thin material. Cinematography is functional and colorful but unremarkable for a 2011 animated feature. The gnome/garden concept is a reasonably clever conceit that gives it some identity, though it doesn't push the premise far. The ending softens Shakespeare's tragedy into a crowd-pleasing resolution that feels safe rather than earned.