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Rollin' with the Gnomies

Reds. Blues. Rival gardens. Star-crossed lovers. A forbidden alliance. ...Lawn-mower races? Okay, so it's safe to say that "Gnomeo & Juliet" is probably not anything Shakespeare ever envisioned for his timeless tragedy. It's possible that he's even rolling in his grave, right now. But with a cast of animated garden gnomes in a cheery 3D world of tacky backyard kitsch, the bard himself becomes accessible to a younger audience than ever before... after a fashion.

The red gnomes and the blue gnomes are locked in a vicious feud. These gangs of tacky outdoor knick-knacks terrorize each other's gardens in suburban England. Emily Blunt voices the plucky Juliet, a red, who is kept safely on her pedestal by her overprotective father (Michael Caine). James McAvoy's Gnomeo (naturally, a blue) is continually scuffling with Juliet's cousin Tybalt (Jason Statham). It's love at first sight, of course, and soon followed by gnomance, secret trysts and familial strife. As Juliet's friend Nanette (Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen) gleefully declares: "Your love is doomed!" And so it seems to be - it's an old story and we all know how it plays out.

With Disney veteran Kelly Asbury at the helm, the talented voice cast is well-used. Emily Blunt brings just the right amount of girl-power to our heroine, and bit parts for Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan are good for a few laughs. Even Patrick Stewart has a part, as a statue of Shakespeare who makes sure the audience doesn't leave the theater without at least being told what the original ending was. If you thought nothing could've made Romeo and Juliet perkier than round-bellied garden gnomes, add a soundtrack by Elton John! A choice mix of old classics (some redone, some original) make sense at some points, but there are times when it's a stretch. "Crocodile Rock"? This is supposed to be a tragedy, after all.

Fast-paced and lively, the film's off-color jokes and references to Shakespeare will amuse parents and naturally be lost on the younger audience. The original story is there, easy to see if you're familiar with the work, under a layer of glazed ceramic. Unfortunately, much of the action that's designed to engage the kids - like the lawn-mower races between Gnomeo and Tybalt or the playful sparring between the lovers themselves - has little to do with the original material. Kids will be drawn to the cute characters, peppy music and action, but probably won't take away much of the story. A happy ending for the most doomed couple of all time? Well, when in Gnome...