subject: Watch Gnomeo and Juliet online [print this page] Watch Gnomeo and Juliet online Watch Gnomeo and Juliet online
In theory the movie takes the story of Romeo & Juliet and retells it using the secret lives of lawn ornaments. Or at least the trailer's narrator tells us that's what they're doing. In practice there's no sign of Shakespeare's most famous play anywhere in this trailer, unless you count that shot of two gnomes almost kissing. Instead it's a series of scenes in which gnomes dress up in funny outfits or race each other on lawn mowers.
Gnomeo & Juliet isn't a bad concept. What if garden gnomes came to life when people aren't around kind of like the toys in Toy Story. The idea is to use this concept to introduce Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet to kids. The film appears to go wrong is in the execution. The computer animated film has a very Dreamworks vibe to it, complete with unfunny popculture references. Gnomeo & Juliet features the music of Elton John and the voice work of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, and Ozzy Osbourne.Click here to watch Gnomeo and Juliet online
The film is, as you might have guessed, an animated adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, as seen through the wild and exciting world of garden gnomes. James McAvoy (Wanted) and Emily Blunt play the star-crossed lovers, but count on
take a deep breath scripters Rob Sprackling, John R. Smith (Tortoise vs. Hare), Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley (Slacker Cats) and Mark Burton (Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit) to kludge a happy ending onto this flick.
Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2 co-director) is directing Blunt and McAvoy, with Jason Statham, Maggie Smith, Dolly Parton, Julie Walters, Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart and Ozzy Osbourne filling out the cast. James Newton Howard (The Last Airbender) is composing the score, and Elton John will contribute both new and old songs to the flick.
Based on what we've seen in the trailer, to say this flick lacks originality, or humour, is an understatement. The plot's cribbed from Shakespeare and the jokes look like they were pulled from Bazooka Joe gum packs, when they're not referencing The Matrix or Borat. Like Toy Story 3, the gnomes only come alive when the humans aren't around and, based on the trailer, expect plenty of jokes about how the gnomes conceal their activities when someone shows up unexpectedly.
The engaging mash-up of Shakespeare, tacky garden gnomes and the music of Elton John offers its own indie/studio hybrid. The Romeo and Juliet riff (voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt) is obviously British but culturally universal; independently produced by John's Rocket Pictures, animated by Starz Animation Toronto and distributed by Toushstone Pictures; but financed by Disney and comprised of key filmmakers from the studio world, principally producer Baker Bloodworth (Pocahontas, Destino, Lorenzo) and director Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2).
