Sherlock Holmes. An icon of literature, film and even television. Whether you adore the books, the Robert Downey Jr films, or the Benedict Cumberbatch TV show, you can’t dispute that the man’s an absolute classic.
And now, they’ve made him kid-friendly. Sort of.
Introducing Sherlock Gnomes, the famous detective (in garden gnome form), arriving with his sidekick Watson to investigate a missing gnomes case. Granted, these are “sillier, kitschier interpretations”, but they’re apparently instantly recognisable.
Why should you take your kids?
- The film presents the same gnome characters your kids may have loved in Gnomeo and Juliet, tho’ the experts say that this film is superior in every way.
- It’s directed by John Stevenson of Kung Fu Panda.
- There’s epic voice talent, including Johnny Depp as Holmes, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Watson, and a stellar supporting cast including James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Mary J Blige, Michael Caine and Maggie Smith.
What will your little ones learn?
Sherlock Gnomes is an enjoyable family adventure, best suited to kids aged 6+.
It has a couple of solid messages about teamwork, appreciating others, not taking the people you love for granted, and building healthy romantic relationships in which the individuals are equal partners who encourage each other.
There are some educational highlights, too, including historical basics from the classic detective stories. Finally, there’s a climactic battle in which there are many close calls, but – whew! – all of the heroes are fine in the end.
And Sherlock Gnomes isn’t too serious: you can anticipate a bit of friendly slapstick via fart jokes, a bare-buttocked gnome wearing a thong, and other gimmicks.
Why see it on the big screen?
Like its adult counterparts, Sherlock Gnomes is a comedy action adventure set in the streets of London, but it’s 3D computer-animated – and again, there are gnomes.
Says director John Stevenson, “London…let us take our heroes out of their familiar garden setting into a city full of hard surfaces, fast moving vehicles and millions of human beings, all things that can easily smash a fragile pottery gnome.”
Producer Carolyn Soper agrees, “The design team has created a modern London that looks so much like the real thing, it makes this whole adventure feel…plausible, as if we might see gnomes running around if we weren’t so involved in our phones.”
Expect action and peril, chases, fights, pursuits and close calls. Also, Sir Elton John executive-produced the film and the music is largely his – and said to be great.
This article was originally written for Jozikids by Tiffany Markman in 2018.
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