This is the sequel to the animated kids film based around a pun, Gnomeo and Juliet. This time, we have gnome Sherlock, gnome Watson and some kind of doll mascot for a pie company Moriarty. The gnomes from the first movie are all there, too, having been moved to a new neighborhood in London. So it is all new lawn ornament adventures.
Gnomeo and Juliet are still important characters in the movie. Now, Juliet is the new head of the garden, and she is taking her responsibilities very seriously, to the detriment of her relationship with Gnomeo. To make matters worse, there is a mysterious villain going about kidnapping lawn ornaments. I wonder who it could be?
Of course Sherlock Gnomes is on the case. While I don’t think this takes directly from any one Sherlock story, it’s a fun take on the classic characters. Sherlock is case-focused in this film, pretty much ignoring Watson and treating everything else like annoyances stopping him from solving the case. Moriarty is over-the-top insane. Perhaps he is different from how he’s usually portrayed, but it is a fun contrast to Sherlock.
So all of the lawn ornaments from Gnomeo and Juliet’s house have been taken except for them. They must team up with Sherlock Gnomes and Watson to figure out what’s going on. There is more of a mystery vibe in the film, so there are some twists and turns. I’ll admit I didn’t see it coming, but I also didn’t think I needed to think much for a Sherlock Gnomes movie.
The movie has character development for all of the main characters. A lot of funny moments and more lawn ornament shenanigans. It’s not going to be a movie that pulls off anything stunning that will draw out powerful emotions, but it’s an alright way to spend some time.
Reid Finn 