GNOMEO & JULIET -- Review

To 3D or not 3D, that is the question. Okay, not really but you get the joke. Much like that weak pun, Gnomeo & Juliet has its moments to shine, before falling to pieces. The cute kid friendly take on Romeo and Juliet does a decent job introducing the classic play to children, but falls flat with many of its jokes. Unlike Shrek, Gnomeo (which is a Disney film) appears to forget what it's trying to achieve mid-way through the film. One of the reasons why so many love the original Shrek is because it took something from almost every animation we had available to us growning up and included it in the parodies throughout its story. Gnomeo (being "family friendly Disney") tried to pun its way through classic Shakespeare, but forgot the puns. It could have taken advantage of all the Disney tales that have come before and used them to create fun new jokes for kids. If only they could laugh at themselves a little, especially since they are releasing the film as a Touchtone production. Instead we get a parody of an American Beauty scene, which seems a bit out of place, if you know what I mean.


Gnomeo & Juliet tells the story of rival gnomes (the Reds and the Blues) that live in the backyards of Mr Capulet and Miss Montague, which is separated by a wooden fence. Much like Toy Story, the gnomes come to life to continue their war when the humans are not home or looking into the backyards. The play on how ridiculous some of the garden gnomes can be is brought to life when the war between Reds and Blues is nearly discovered and they must "freeze". It is not until Gnomeo meets Juliet before the real trouble starts. The only difference between the real Romeo and Juliet and this animated version is that there is only one tragic, or rather one tragically funny death for poor ol' Tybalt.

The biggest highlight for the adults in the audience will be the star-studded cast that lends their voices to the entertaining lawn ornaments. With stars like Michael Caine (Lord Redbrick), Maggie Smith (Lady Bluebury), Patrick Stewart (Bill Shakespeare), James McAvoy (Gnomeo), Emily Blunt (Juliet), Ozzy (Fawn), Hulk Hogan (Terrafirminator), Jason Statham (Tybalt) and last but not least Dolly Parton (Dolly Gnome) it is no wonder the film does, at the very least, keep us entertained. The only issue I have with the film is it does not hold up to the names attached. Like Disney films that have come before, Gnomeo attempts to include a handful of songs, but fails miserably to add anything to the story or have any significance to that being portrayed on the screen, only adding minutes to those particular scenes where they are included, making it feel like the scenes will drag on forever. I felt that the addition of the songs were nothing more than an after thought, drawn up because the original running time was too short to be considered a feature film and were the best they could come up with to fill the run time. A good example of the use of music is when "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" was played in full, which almost mocks the use in Miramax's Ella Enchanted. If only more effort was put out to make a quality film and the budget was directed towards better writing instead of on a 3D distribution, which added nothing to the film, but at the prices one pays to view a 3D movie, add much to Disney’s bottom line.

Gnomeo & Juliet is a cute story, although a poor attempt on Disney’s part to come up with a Shrek-like film. The use of 3D is pulled off, however there is really no point to it. Unlike Yogi Bear, there are no flying turtles, bears or anything that flies at the screen for that matter. Although this was the first 3D film that did not leave me walking out of the theater with a headache, unlike the recently released Sanctum which I’m still feeling the pain. I wish studios would get over their 3D kick and just give us some quality films. Gnomeo & Juliet will entertain young children, and it’s nice to see that they are getting introduced to some classic literature, though, in Disney’s typical style, rewrites the storyline to a more family friendly tale. It is an ideal film for parents or relatives of children under the age of 10.
 
I give Gnomeo & Juliet a 3 out of 5.
 

Black Pearl Info -- Pirates 4

Word has come that the Black Pearl has landed in Hawaii, where the 4th installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film is set to begin production in this coming May.  Check out the video below.

November Releases To Be Excited For

As November has just begun I feel the need to share a few trailers for films to keep your eyes out for.

DARE
Let's start with an unusual indie film about high school seniors and what it means to be finally completing that one stage in your life and the unexpected things that happen before you take your first steps in the next stage of life.


Men Who Stare At Goats
The next generation of military weapons has come... in the form of 'psychic soldiers'?? With an amazing cast one can only hope that it brings as many laughs to the rest of the film as the trailer shares.


The Messenger
The story of a soldier who just returned home from Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Looks like it could be a powerful story.


Planet 51
We've all heard of Area 51, but have you heard of Planet 51. What looks like it could be a fun family film that brings a new look to an alien planet. So let's see who the real alien is... them... or us. Also, enjoy the dog that looks like a mini Xenomorph. For those Alien fans out there, I'm sure you'll get a few good laughs out of that.


Me and Orsen Wells
We all know who Orsen Wells is. We've all seen at least one of his films. This November release tells the story from a slightly different side and yet still brings back that feel of classic filmmaking that only existed during the times when Orsen Wells was a man behind the camera. This period piece shows a different side to the actors we have watched grow into skilled performers, but never have we seen them in a film quite like this.


Old Dogs
In the spirit of Wild Hogs comes the next chapter of what it is to be getting old and have life throw a curve ball right at you. John Travolta and Robin Williams team up for what can only be a film that will make you laugh til you cry.


and just because I love penguins so much. here's a second trailer to prove everyone says 'aw' when they see the little guys who are always dressed to impress for a night out anyway in their permanent tux.


Princess and the Frog
Disney takes a trip down memory lane and brings us a new film made in the traditional style of previous Disney classics is the story of the Princess and the Frog. Have you ever wondered what happened to the princess that kissed the frog? We are about to find out.