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| Sherlock Gnomes | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Stevenson |
| Screenplay by | Ben Zazove |
| Story by |
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| Based on |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Chris Bacon |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $59 million[1] |
| Box office | $90.5 million[1] |
Sherlock Gnomes is a 2018 animatedmysterycomedy film directed byJohn Stevenson. A sequel toGnomeo & Juliet (2011), it is based on the detective characterSherlock Holmes.James McAvoy,Emily Blunt,Maggie Smith,Michael Caine,Ashley Jensen,Matt Lucas,Stephen Merchant, andOzzy Osbourne reprise their roles from the first film, withJohnny Depp,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Mary J. Blige, andJamie Demetriou joining the cast. The film followsgarden 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.
At London'sNatural 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, thegarden gnome families, including Miss Montague and Mr. Capulet, relocate fromStratford-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 throughChinatown, 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 ofTower 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.
In March 2012, it was reported that a sequel toGnomeo & Juliet was in development atRocket Pictures. Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg,Andy Riley andKevin Cecil—four of the nine writers of theoriginal film—were attached to write the screenplay. Steve Hamilton Shaw andDavid Furnish returned as producers, withElton John serving again asexecutive 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.[2]
In September 2012,John Stevenson, co-director ofKung Fu Panda (2008), was announced as the director.[3]Kelly Asbury, who directed the original film, was unavailable due to his commitments onSmurfs: The Lost Village (2017) forSony Pictures Animation. However, he remained involved as a creative consultant and voiced the Red Goon Gnomes.[4]
In November 2015,Johnny Depp was announced as the voice of Sherlock Gnomes, with the film scheduled for release on January 12, 2018.[5]James McAvoy andEmily Blunt reprised their roles as Gnomeo and Juliet, respectively.[6]
Unlike its predecessor, which was animated byArc Productions,Sherlock Gnomes was animated byMikros Animation inLondon andParis, with additional work byReel FX Animation inDallas,Los Angeles, andMontreal. The animation was produced usingAutodesk 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 citedGeorge Pal'sPuppetoons as an influence on the gnome animation style.[7] Human characters were animated using motion capture, while the end credits sequence was created byStudio AKA in London.[8]
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 onFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), though he contributed as a music consultant. The film's soundtrack was released byVirgin EMI Records.
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.[9] In the United Kingdom, the film was released on May 11, 2018.
On November 3, 2017, seven teaser posters were unveiled, coinciding with the official shortening of the film's title fromGnomeo & Juliet 2: Sherlock Gnomes toSherlock Gnomes.[4] The first trailer was released on November 7, 2017.[10] To promote the film, several parody posters were also released spoofing notable 2017 films such asDarkest 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, andThe Shape of Water, each reimagined with gnome-themed titles and characters.[11]
Sherlock Gnomes was released onDigital HD on June 5, 2018, followed byBlu-ray andDVD on June 12, 2018.[12]
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.[1]
In North America, the film was released alongsidePacific Rim Uprising,Midnight Sun,Unsane, andPaul, Apostle of Christ. It was projected to earn $13–18 million from 3,600 theaters during its opening weekend,[13] but debuted with a lower-than-expected $10.6 million, finishing fourth at the box office.[14]
OnRotten 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."[15] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted score of 36 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[16] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave it an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[14]
Critics largely panned the film for its unoriginal humor and underwhelming plot.Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.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."[17]IGN's David Griffin rated the film 4.5/10, writing, "Sherlock Gnomes tries to mix action and slapstick with detective mystery but ends up solving little except how to lose an audience's attention."[18]
Variety's Peter Debruge found the film lacking in energy and coherence, stating, "Even kids might find this lazy sequel's jokes and logic tiresome."[19] Benjamin Lee ofThe Guardian awarded the film one star out of five, describing it as "a joyless and charmless exercise that lacks the wit or warmth to engage either children or adults."[20]
Deadline Hollywood criticized the film's "uninspired voice performances" and over-reliance onElton John's music catalog, which it described as "needlessly shoehorned into scenes."[21]Common Sense Media reviewers noted that while the film features familiar characters and bright visuals, the story falls flat, and the messaging around teamwork is undermined by weak character development.[22]
BBC Radio 1's Ali Plumb describedSherlock 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."[23]
| Award | Date of the ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 14 November 2018 | Best Original Song in an Animated Film | "Stronger Than I Ever Was" –Elton John andBernie Taupin | Won | [24] |
| London Film Critics' Circle | 20 January 2019 | British Actress of the Year | Emily Blunt(also forA Quiet Place andMary Poppins Returns) | Nominated | [25] |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | 23 February 2019 | Worst Actor | Johnny Depp | Nominated | [26] |
| Worst Screen Combo | Johnny Depp & his fast-fading film career | Nominated |
| International | |
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| National | |