Gnomeo & Juliet

"O Romeo, o Romeo, wherefore art thou...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!"  Sorry, although the words of the immortal bard William Shakespeare remain beautiful to this day, they've become well-worn by frequent recitation and endless attempts to modernize it(lookin' at you, Baz Luhrmann!). So anybody who manages to find a way to make unique use of his classic tragedy deserves not only appreciation, but we should consider taking them out for a beer. While there are waaaay too many writers attached to single out any one, director Kelly Asbury definitely deserves some credit for taking what worked so well for him in Shrek 2 and applying it to a story we've heard a million times before.

The streets(or better yet, the back yards) of Verona run red and blue, as we're introduced to two warring factions of porcelain garden gnomes in a blood feud for lawn mower supremacy. Gnomeo(James McAvoy) is the stoic, young, de factor leader of the Montague clan, defending his yard's flower display against his sworn enemies, the red Capulets from the yard next door. Blessed with the most inattentive homeowners ever(who themselves are feuding), the gnomes roam freely and basically live their lives however they see fit. They settle old scores the way I'm sure they did in the time of Shakespeare, by racing lawn mowers down an old alley.

The rivalry stays at a constant stalemate, that is until the brash Tybalt(Jason Statham) of the Capulets goes too far and destroys a sacred garden. Spurred to a  risky assault, Gnomeo is struck by the beauty of the ninja-garbed Juliet(Emily Blunt), herself on a mission to pluck a rare flower. The two meet and it's love at first sight. The only problem? She's a red, he's a blue. Their love is fated for a tragic end right from the start. Even William Shakespeare himself shows up to tell them so.

Adapting Romeo and Juliet for the kids is no easy task. It's easy to get lost in all the sweeping drama and romanticism of the story, but Shakespeare always intended for it to be a tragedy. There's some pretty dark stuff that takes place, and Kelly Asbury deserves some credit for finding creative ways to tackle those key plot points. There are characters who are injured and even one who perishes, but it's done in a way that youngsters won't be scared, while adults will recognize and appreciate those moments. The major thematic elements of Shakespeare's story remain intact. All the while, the tone is kept light hearted and bouncy thanks to a rockin' soundtrack of bombastic Elton John tunes.(he also serves as a producer) The jokes and Shakespeare-inspired gags fly at a pretty accelerated clip. Most of them work to keep the momentum going during the early and latter stages of the film when the action really heats up. 

Most impressive is the way Asbury creates a fantastic but believable world out of a ridiculous concept. Like in the Night at the Museum movies, or a better example might be Toy Story, the gnomes exist freely as long as they aren't being noticed. When caught out in the open they need to transform back to their porcelain forms to remain unnoticed.  The "klink" noise they make as they walk and fight is a nifty, realistic touch.

Where else are you going to get a chance to hear Jason Statham alongside veteran Brit-actress Maggie Smith? A slew of recognizable voice talents(including Michael Caine,  Julie Walters, and Hulk Hogan) are perfectly cast for this zany, twisted adventure. 

After jumping from Walt Disney(Pixar shelved the film indefinitely) to Miramax, Gnomeo and Juliet finally ended up at Touchstone Pictures. This marks their first animated feature in 18 years, and it's the sort of inventive saga Shakespeare would have applauded. Maybe they can start teaching Gnomeo and Juliet in English Lit classes from now on?