Gnomeo & Juliet (February 11, 2011)

The basic story of this movie is one we have seen a thousand times- a simple retelling of Romeo & Juliet. However, this version is interesting enough to watch because of its unique characters and world and is a perfect introduction to the classic Shakespeare tale for children. I particularly enjoyed the initial meeting scene as it showcases the boldness, feistiness, and agency of Juliet. It was a cute ballet and showed their blossoming attraction to each other. The animation style is very realistic and quite impressive with the effects on and sounds of the gnomes being superb. The gnomes do take their ques from the toys in Toy Story as they enjoy a secret life when their owners are away, though they share their owners’ mutual hatred of each other. Overall, I this movie is not amazing but there are worse ways to spend an afternoon and it certainly has its charms (although there is an unfortunate overuse of pop music). It is the perfect matinee film that, while geared towards kids, parents will not be bored watching.

Final Rating: 6/10