Release Date: May 24, 2011
Rating: G
Running Time: Approx. 84 minutes

From a director of Shrek 2 comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes — Gnomeo & Juliet. Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world’s most timeless stories features music from Sir Elton John, and the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and Sir Michael Caine. Caught up in a feud between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingos and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Complete with hilarious never-before-seen bonus features, Gnomeo & Juliet is an out-of-the-ordinary animated comedy your entire family will love. We just gnome it!

Gnomeo And Juliet is a colorful romantic dramedy, (more comedy than hard hitting drama) for all ages. If you think that it won’t reel you in, you will be pleasantly surprised within the first few moments. In fact, this is probably one of the most entertaining animated films of the year so far. First off, the voice talent is a dream cast including Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, Sir Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Dolly Parton, Hulk Hogan, Matt Lucas, Ashley Jensen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, and Maggie Smith.

To put it plain, this story is Toy Story meets Shakespeare. Needless to say, the writing is just as sweet as it is dark (for the young audience) and emotional. After all that goes on, there’s such a beautiful message in the end about acceptance and being equal… which is a message we can never get too much of. It was satisfying to see the use of tragedy, the hinting of death and blatant destruction represented as smashing of the gnomes and the mess of the backyard. The way that the rivalry was crafted for this film was also done in such a well thought out way for its target audience, that it is so easy to praise the film for its originality behind such a classic.

The comedic timing is brilliant. There’s just as much fun and games as there is focus on the story of Gnomeo and Juliet. Viewers will get a kick out of the homage to a certain action flick (among other homages) and brief use of subtitles among other things. The use of the backyard will blow your mind, as will a gnome dressed up as Elton John during a day dream sequence. The use of “Hello, Hello” by Elton John & Lady Gaga was perfect and perhaps a favorite among all of the (Elton John) music featured. Basically, if you can get past your initial “Gnomes and Shakespeare? Umm No,” reaction, you will be entertained more than you could have ever expected. The best part? The film ends at the just right length, leaving viewers satisfied with the entire film and giving viewers the feeling of having remained invested in every moment. In fact, I enjoyed the film so much, that I definitely would not mind the gnomes taking on another Shakespeare classic. Great story, great adaptation, great addition to your Blu-Ray or DVD collection.

DVD & Movie Download Bonus Features:

Elton Builds a Garden (5:47 minutes) – This is a fun “making of” feature which begins with a brief history of the creation of Rocket Pictures and how the company came to Gnomeo & Juliet. Bits of pieces about the production are shared during interviews with the crew as viewers get to see the cast and orchestra in the recording studio. Though the feature then becomes mainly about the music and collaboration process. This feature does seem to be a bit shorter than one may have expected, so there’s no in depth look inside all that went into the film or music behind the film. But it is a great peak into the making of the film and its different components.

Appearing in this Feature:
Director, Kelly Asbury
Producers, David Furnish, Baker Bloodworth, Steve Hamilton Shaw
Executive Producer/Songwriter, Elton John
Actor, Michael Cane
Composer, James Newton Howard
Guitarist, Davey Johnstone

Frog Talk with Ashley Jensen (1:46 minutes) – This is a brief look into the recording studio with Actress, Ashley Jensen who plays the frog, Nanette. Jensen takes a break from recording to talk about voice over acting and she is quite a hoot to watch. This is really entertaining! Too bad it is such a short feature. Although maybe I was just so excited to see Jensen again since her days on Ugly Betty.

* “Crocodile Rock” Music Video, featuring Elton John and Nelly Furtado

Blu-ray Bonus Features:
DVD Bonus plus…
* 2 Alternate Endings with Filmmaker Introductions
* Deleted & Alternate Scenes with Filmmaker Introductions, including:
– 1 Alternate Opening
– 1 Alternate Scene
– 6 Deleted Scenes
* The Fawn of Darkness, featuring Ozzy Osbourne

Own Gnomeo & Juliet on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray, & DVD today.