Awesome Movie

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Come on, it's a cute take on the old Romeo and Juliet where the lovers don't need to die. What's wrong with that. For those who think Shakespeare's work shouldn't receive this treatment get over yourself. Shakespeare was a hack writing the equivalent of modern sitcoms for the masses. Calling them classics would be like 300 years from now we call Friends and Cheers classics and we make kids act them out in school plays. Blech. Sure there are some "adult" jokes that the kids either have no idea about or already learned enough from other kids to get. So what, a nod to the parents makes it enjoyable for them as well as the kids. Relax, we've been doing it since the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. In the end if you aren't laughing at the abject silliness and the cuteness of the gnomes you are a soulless monster who needs to stick to Game of Thrones and let the sane people enjoy something funny.

After reading the wonderful Shakespearean masterpiece that is Romeo and Juliet, I decided to watch this take on his beloved classic. Here are some of my thoughts:Highs: The animation was nice. Which is more than I can say for some other movies I've watched.Lows: Almost everything else. Romeo and Juliet is a good story because it is a twist on the "love at first sight" cliché. Gnomeo and Juliet doesn't have that twist. It is only the cliché. Which happens to be the most clichéd clichés of all time. And that's not the only cliché you'll see. This entire film is packed full of clichés that are all unbearably cringeworthy. In fact, this film has so many clichés that it makes me feel like I'm saying cliché too much. And what's with the gnomes? Who thought it was a good idea to remake Romeo and Juliet, except without death and with gnomes? It's your typical Disneyesque clichéd "meets true love" film that is unexciting in any way. Spoiler alert: Yup, nobody dies at the end. What a ripoff. After sustaining through this entire crapfest I wanted at least the satisfaction of the main characters committing suicide and whatnot, but I didn't even get that. I do appreciate that they put in innuendos like Shakespeare did with his plays, but the innuendos in Gnomeo and Juliet were juvenile and just stupid. I probably could live with them if they were witty but they weren't. The music is terrible too. People are going to trash me for this but I just don't like Elton John.Verdict: Stay away. Unless you like clichéd tripe, which is surprisingly what a lot of people do like.

Since my dad told me that he found the film to be far better than expected when he went to see it at the cinema with my brothers,I've been meaning to watch Gnomeo and Juliet for ages,but some reason have never had the chance.Taking a look on BBC iPlayer,I was happy to see the movie listed on catch-up,which led to me getting ready to finally meet Gnomeo and Juliet.The plot:Following the feud between their owners Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet,their living garden gnomes divide themselves,with the Montague side having blue hats,and the Capulet side having red hats.Getting stopped from winning a race by cheating Montague gnomes, Montague gnomes Gnomeo and Benny decide to get their revenge. Jumping over the wall.Gnomeo and Benny start spray painting the Capulet's place.Getting caught,Gnomemo and Benny start to run away.During the escape,Gnomeo runs into Juliet, (daughter of Capulet gnome leader Lord Redbrick) who both fall in love with each other at first sight. Despite knowing the hatred between their families,Gnomeo and Juliet are unable to put a wall between their love.View on the film:Playing around with the ending of Shakespeare's (who has a cameo!) Romeo & Juliet,the screenplay by co-writer(along with 8 others) director Kelly Asbury keeps things to a gentle, whimsical atmosphere. Avoiding the use of any major baddie,the writers heat up the feud with slick action slap-stick set-pieces,which go from a Death Race-style (with The Stath!) opening race,to a stealth mission to buy a killer lawnmower.Giving each of the gnomes their own sides, Asbury impressively give each garden a lush English countryside appearance,which is neatly counted by each gnome being given a rough stone/rock shine.Backed by a sweet soundtrack from Elton John, James McAvoy & Emily Blunt give terrific performances as the garden crossed lovers,with Blunt digging a romantic,gentle touch in Juliet,whilst McAvoy gives Gnomeo a rocky feeling of determination,as the two gardens get their own Romeo and Juliet.

There's no need to introduce William Shakespeare or give any kind of history on him. He's a famed writer that has had many of his stories adapted into plays, musicals, TV shows and movies. If you're a real avid fan of Shakespeare, it'll be easier to distinguish various works and see if they were actually used in a story line. The thing is, for anyone who has read Shakespeare's work, it's also quite difficult to feel like it'll be a new experience because the story has already been performed before. Unfortunately, this is one of the films major flaws. The only thing it would be new to are the people who have never even heard of Shakespeare. That's a smaller demographic than the entirety of it.Thankfully, the film addresses this problem in a few ways that does make it enjoyable. First, the fourth wall is broken at the very beginning where a prologue is read to introduce the story. But instead, director Kelly Asbury, a writer who helped in the story of Beauty and the Beast (1991), keeps the story moving. Because the title pretty much speaks for itself, the story takes place in a garden where two conflicting families are of different colored Gnomes. Again, even with all the writers attached to this project, none could really lift the story from being exactly what could be predicted. It's a mix of an adult story with a childlike setting aimed for the younger demographic. It's obvious to the outcome. However, although this is a problem, the writers do cleverly incorporate other themes into the plot as well to help not make the execution feel so direct.An example of this is simulating various elements of our everyday lives into what a Gnome would do. It's not always funny but it is more than it is not. It's also cool that the Gnomes were kept delicate even though they could move. It made them sound more earth like. I although am curious how you could have a fluid moving ceramic simultaneously. The looks of the Gnomes also have a nice image. Most garden gnomes are old and scruffy, but here, even though they have beards, they still look huggable. And of course because they are the main leads, Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) are a cute couple on screen. The voice cast is another well-established element. Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Jason Statham, Ozzy Osbourne and even Hulk Hogan have a specific part. My favorite was Featherstone, the pink flamingo voice by Jim Cummings. For the Jim Cummings fans, it'll be easy to spot him because he voices Featherstone like that of Bonkers (1993). Very similar. The music had a nice touch. There are several references to Elton John's music, which is cool. One gnome even looks like Elton John. As for the film score, James Newton Howard's music is respective to the scenes that are put on screen but none provide a tune that is memorable by. It is good, but not wowing. A fun family picture with predictability.Because it is based on a Shakespeare work, it becomes predictable almost immediately. However this doesn't stop it from entertaining its audience. The voice cast is fun along with its unique setting and likable characters.