Sherlock Gnomes Parent Guide

The talking garden gnomes return with a good dose of “cheeky” humor—literally, in the case of one gnome (voice of Julio Bonet) who parades around in a “mankini”, exposing his sunburnt posterior. After Gnomeo & Juliet, this second attempt at turning lawn ornaments into captivating entertainment offers a new tale that drops the romantic couple (voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt) into the center of an ongoing mystery being solved by… you guessed it… Sherlock Gnomes (voice of Johnny Depp). The famous literary detective will also face his usual nemesis Moriarty (voice of Jamie Demetriou).

The gnomes’ human family has relocated to London and within hours of being unpacked and strategically placed about the shabby garden, virtually every one of them disappears. The only exceptions are Gnomeo and Juliet who, fortunately, were out having a spat down the street. They get back to the empty yard just in time to meet Sherlock and his assistant Dr. Watson (voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor) and be informed there’s a rash of gnome disappearances across the city.

Having recently been made leaders of the gnome colony, the ceramic couple feel an intense need to assist with the investigation. However, differences of opinion (similar to their earlier disagreement) leave each of them with their own idea of how the case should be solved. Add Sherlock’s self-absorbed nature and Watson’s timid suggestions and you have a quartet of eager helpers who differ more than they agree. And that makes for a script that circles about in countless directions.

Thankfully there are some upsides – the first being at least there is a story in this sequel – something that was lacking in the original. In fact, there are some fun nods to Arthur Conan Doyle’s many Sherlock adventures and even a twist or two to keep the Baker Street theme afoot. The plot also leaves less time for inappropriate humor (aside from a bit too much Mankini). As well, with Elton John as executive producer, there’s a selection of his “greatest hits” playing throughout the film.

So we’ve got a decent story, good music and some of the best voice talent available, yet like so many other animations vying for family box office dollars, the screen is full of characters telling us how they feel about each other rather than demonstrating it. Evoking little audience engagement, the next big mystery Sherlock Gnomes needs to solve is how to give these stone characters a little more heart.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.