Sherlock Gnomes is a 2018 animated Mystery film comedy film directed by John Stevenson. A sequel to Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), it is based on the detective character Sherlock Holmes. James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Maggie Smith, Michael Caine, Ashley Jensen, Matt Lucas, Stephen Merchant, and Ozzy Osbourne reprise their roles from the first film, with Johnny Depp, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mary J. Blige, and Jamie Demetriou joining the cast. The film follows garden gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet, recruiting gnome detective Sherlock Gnomes to find the missing ornaments from their new garden in London.
The film was released in the United States on March 23, 2018, and in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2018. The film received negative reviews and underperformed at the box-office, grossing $90.5 million against a production budget of $59 million.
Plot
At London's Natural History Museum, detective Sherlock Gnomes and his assistant, Dr. Gnome Watson, foil their longtime nemesis Moriarty, a pie mascot, who appears to be killed when crushed by a dinosaur skeleton. Meanwhile, the
garden gnome families, including Miss Montague and Mr. Capulet, relocate from Stratford-upon-Avon to a neglected garden in London. Lady Bluebury and Lord Redbrick appoint Gnomeo and Juliet as new leaders, but the relationship between the gnome couple becomes strained as Juliet focuses on revitalizing the garden.
When all the gnomes mysteriously vanish, Gnomeo and Juliet join Sherlock and Watson to investigate. Believing Moriarty may have survived, Sherlock follows clues that lead them through Chinatown, the Natural History Museum, and a royal park. The journey strains the group's dynamic, particularly between Gnomeo and Juliet, and between Sherlock and Watson. Juliet and Sherlock later visit a doll museum to consult Sherlock's former fiancée, Irene, who provides a crucial clue.
The investigation reveals that Watson posed as Moriarty to earn Sherlock's appreciation but was ultimately manipulated by the real Moriarty, who plans to crush the gnomes by trapping them in the towers of Tower Bridge, then raising the bridge during a fireworks display. Sherlock, Juliet, and Watson race to the bridge, where they reunite with Gnomeo and thwart the plan. Sherlock sacrifices himself to stop Moriarty, falling into the river, however Watson saves Sherlock.
In the aftermath, the gnomes celebrate their restored garden the following spring, and Sherlock and Watson set off on their next case, having reconciled.
Voice cast
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James McAvoy as Gnomeo, a blue gnome who is Lady Bluebury's son, Juliet's husband, and Benny's best friend. He is the counterpart to Romeo.
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Emily Blunt as Juliet, a red gnome who is Lord Redbrick's daughter, Gnomeo's wife, and Nanette's best friend. She is the counterpart to Juliet Capulet.
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Johnny Depp as Sherlock Gnomes, a gnome who is Dr. Gnome Watson's friend, and Irene's ex-fiancé. He is the counterpart to Sherlock Holmes.
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Chiwetel Ejiofor as Dr. Gnome Watson, a gnome who is Sherlock Gnomes' friend and assistant. He is the counterpart to Dr. John Watson.
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Jamie Demetriou as Moriarty, a pie mascot and Sherlock Gnomes' nemesis. He is the counterpart to Professor James Moriarty.
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Mary J. Blige as Irene, a plastic doll who is Sherlock Gnomes' ex-fiancé. She is the counterpart to Irene Adler.
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Michael Caine as Lord Redbrick, the leader of the red garden gnomes and Juliet's widowed father, who is overprotective of her. He is the counterpart to Lord Capulet.
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Maggie Smith as Lady Bluebury, the leader of the blue garden gnomes and Gnomeo's widowed mother. She is the counterpart to Lady Montague.
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Ashley Jensen as Nanette, a plastic garden frog who is Juliet's best friend, Paris' former girlfriend, and Benny's current girlfriend. She is the counterpart to Nurse.
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Matt Lucas as Benny, an impulsive gnome who is Gnomeo's best friend, Call Me Doll's former boyfriend, and Nanette's current boyfriend. He is the counterpart to Mercutio and Benvolio.
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Stephen Merchant as Paris, a nerdy red gnome who was arranged to marry Juliet. He is the counterpart to Count Paris.
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Ozzy Osbourne as Fawn, a garden deer and counterpart to Peter.
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Julie Walters as Mrs. Montague, the elderly owner of the garden.
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Richard Wilson as Mr. Capulet, the elderly owner of the garden.
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Julio Bonet as Mankini Gnome, a red gnome who wears a mankini.
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Gary Bradbury as Barry, a gnome who sits on a toilet.
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Kelly Asbury as Red Goon Gnomes. They are counterparts to Gregory, Sampson, Anthony, and Potpan.
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Dan Starkey as Teddy Gregson, the counterpart to Tobias Gregson.
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Dexter Fletcher as Reggie, a gargoyle.
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Javone Prince as Ronnie, a gargoyle.
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James Hong as Salt Shaker
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John Stevenson as Big Boy Gorilla
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Stephen Wight as Bridge Operator
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Eve Webster as Mrs. Udderson, Sherlock Gnomes' cow
Production
Development
In March 2012, it was reported that a sequel to
Gnomeo & Juliet was in development at
Rocket Pictures. Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg,
Andy Riley and
Kevin Cecil—four of the nine writers of the original film—were attached to write the screenplay. Steve Hamilton Shaw and
David Furnish returned as producers, with
Elton John serving again as executive producer and contributing new songs. The sequel would introduce Sherlock Gnomes, described as "the greatest ornamental detective", hired to investigate the mysterious disappearance of gnomes.
In September 2012, John Stevenson, co-director of Kung Fu Panda (2008), was announced as the director.
Casting
In November 2015,
Johnny Depp was announced as the voice of Sherlock Gnomes, with the film scheduled for release on January 12, 2018.
and
Emily Blunt reprised their roles as Gnomeo and Juliet, respectively.
Animation
Unlike its predecessor, which was animated by Arc Productions,
Sherlock Gnomes was animated by
Mikros Animation in
London and
Paris, with additional work by Reel FX Animation in
Dallas,
Los Angeles, and
Montreal. The animation was produced using
Autodesk Maya, and character models from the first film were reused. Approximately 60% of the animation crew was based in London, with the remainder in Paris. At peak production, the film employed between 80 and 100 animators. Animation director Eric Leighton cited
George Pal's
Puppetoons as an influence on the gnome animation style.
Human characters were animated using motion capture, while the end credits sequence was created by
Studio AKA in London.
Music
Chris Bacon returned to compose the score, as he had on the first film. James Newton Howard, who co-composed the original score, did not return due to his work on
(2018), though he contributed as a music consultant. The film's soundtrack was released by Virgin EMI Records.
Release
Sherlock Gnomes was initially scheduled for release in the United States on January 12, 2018, but in May 2017, it was delayed to March 23, 2018.
In the United Kingdom, the film was released on May 11, 2018.
Marketing
On November 3, 2017, seven teaser posters were unveiled, coinciding with the official shortening of the film's title from
Gnomeo & Juliet 2: Sherlock Gnomes to
Sherlock Gnomes.
The first trailer was released on November 7, 2017.
To promote the film, several parody posters were also released spoofing notable 2017 films such as
Darkest Hour,
The Disaster Artist,
The Greatest Showman,
The Post,
I, Tonya,
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,
All the Money in the World,
Wonder Woman, and
The Shape of Water, each reimagined with gnome-themed titles and characters.
Home media
Sherlock Gnomes was released on Digital HD on June 5, 2018, followed by
Blu-ray and
DVD on June 12, 2018.
Reception
Box office
Sherlock Gnomes grossed $43.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $47.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $90.4 million, against a production budget of $59 million.
In North America, the film was released alongside Pacific Rim Uprising, Midnight Sun, Unsane, and Paul, Apostle of Christ. It was projected to earn $13–18 million from 3,600 theaters during its opening weekend,
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes,
Sherlock Gnomes holds an approval rating of 28% based on 65 reviews with an average rating of 4.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "
Sherlock Gnomes is sadly, utterly stumped by the mystery of the reason for its own existence."
On
Metacritic, the film has a weighted score of 36 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
Audiences surveyed by
CinemaScore gave it an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Critics largely panned the film for its unoriginal humor and underwhelming plot. Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film one and a half stars, calling it "a dull and pointless sequel" and noting that "only the youngest viewers might be distracted enough not to notice how lifeless it is."
Varietys Peter Debruge found the film lacking in energy and coherence, stating, "Even kids might find this lazy sequel's jokes and logic tiresome."
Deadline Hollywood criticized the film's "uninspired voice performances" and over-reliance on Elton John's music catalog, which it described as "needlessly shoehorned into scenes."
BBC Radio 1s Ali Plumb described Sherlock Gnomes as "visually competent but narratively cluttered," adding that "while some gags may earn a chuckle, the film largely plays it too safe to leave any real impression."
Accolades
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 14 November 2018 | Best Original Song in an Animated Film | "Stronger Than I Ever Was" – Elton John and Bernie Taupin | | |
| London Film Critics' Circle | 20 January 2019 | British Actress of the Year | Emily Blunt (also for A Quiet Place and Mary Poppins Returns) | | |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | 23 February 2019 | Worst Actor | Johnny Depp | | |
| Worst Screen Combo | Johnny Depp & his fast-fading film career | |
See also
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Gnome Alone, another garden gnome film that was released in 2017
External links
