6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
Garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find lasting happiness?
Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, Jim Cummings (I)Family | 100% |
Animation | 81% |
Adventure | 69% |
Fantasy | 59% |
Comedy | 58% |
Romance | 11% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The story you are about to see has been told before. A lot.
Yeah, but it's never been told quite like this. Part William Shakespeare, part kids movie, part Comedy, part Adventure, part love story, part
morality tale, and even part monster truck rally-type fiasco gone terribly wrong, Gnomeo & Juliet is a movie quite unlike anything before it.
Sure there have been countless films that turn classic stories on their heads, and yes Gnomeo & Juliet seems like a movie created around a
clever pun rather than a fleshed-out story given a clever pun as a name, but by sheer force of will it works despite having everything work against it.
The idea is
cute but could it really succeed as a feature film? These aren't talking animals (well, most of them aren't talking animals) but instead
chipped, broken,
worn-down, sun-baked, long-neglected garden gnomes, not exactly the sort of things that have a proven track record of drawing in the kids in
droves. It's hard to see plush
gnomes on toy store shelves, gnome-themed happy meals, or a video game featuring various backyard gnome adventures. It's a risky idea for sure
(a sad commentary that today's film sometimes can't stand on their own merits?),
and considering that the most catchy part of it all is the title, well, the movie had better be pretty good if it has any chance at success, seeing that
the
peripherals
that so often come with kids movies don't really lend themselves all that well to marketing the thing. Fortunately, Director Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2) has pulled it off, at least well enough that the movie stands
on
its own merits. This isn't a new classic or anything, but Gnomeo & Juliet is a funny, well-made picture with solid characters, a fair bit of
adventure, and even a smidgen of heart, enough to win over all but the most demanding audiences and solidify itself as a worthwhile little 3D film
that's
suitable for the whole family.
He'll fight for love.
Gnomeo & Juliet's 1080p 2D-only transfer is just as stunning as its 3D counterpart, only without the added benefit of actual depth. This is all one could reasonably expect of a 2D all-digital animated transfer; it's lively, colorful, wonderfully detailed, and free of any perceptible warts. Of note is the striking color palette that's evident in every scene, even in the fairly long dark stretch where Gnomeo ends up meeting Juliet. The picture is awash in reds and blues, both handsomely rendered and perfectly displayed. Color balance is exceptional; there's no bleed-over, and color gradations are perfect. Green foliage, yellow flowers, tan bricks, and even gray concrete sidewalks and roadways are all balanced, crisp, and eye-catching. Fine detail is just as good. Viewers will be amazed at the level of absolute digital perfection visible in every scene, a tribute both to the power of Blu-ray and the intricacies of the digital artwork that make up every character and environment. The chips and scratches that appear on every garden gnome add plenty of authenticity to the film while at the same time providing some of the best evidence of this transfer's mastery. Fine textures on brick façades, wooden fence posts, and even a pink sock Juliet wears for a moment in chapter two couldn't feature any more realism for a digital object. Black levels are absolutely perfect, and shadow detail is wonderful. The 2D image even manages a fair sense of depth. Banding and blocking are non-issues, and the image is smooth, sharp, and crisp at every turn. This is everything Blu-ray fans could want in an animated transfer; it's absolutely stunning from the top-down.
Gnomeo & Juliet's DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack isn't quite as strong as its video counterpart, but it's certainly no slouch. Perhaps most readily evident is the ease with which Disney's soundtrack handles various environmental effects. Running water, chirping birds, and other natural and backyard ambience is perfectly integrated into the track, taking advantage of the entire soundstage but remaining, generally, only a background element that supports the primary action but nicely envelops the listener in the world of the warring garden gnomes. Music, both score and Elton John's movie-specific tunes, is presented with a natural heft, fine clarity, and excellent spacing. The surround channels carry some of the music's support structure, but also play a part in the delivery of more aggressive sound effects, such as lawnmowers rumbling straight through the listening area both during a race at the beginning of the film and as a beastly rider from hell plows its way through the backyard with deadly efficiency. The track could stand a slight boost in absolute power; it never seems quite so naturally and prolifically seamless as to serve as a perfect source of reference-quality Blu-ray material, but this is still a striking, fun, and well-balanced track. Rounded into form by seamlessly clean and center-focused dialogue, Gnomeo & Juliet's soundtrack is a winner.
This 2D-only Blu-ray release of Gnomeo & Juliet features all of the on-disc supplements that come on the 2D disc included in the Blu-ray 3D release. However, this release drops the digital copy but retains the
DVD copy.
There's really nothing new here save for the play on words and the uniqueness of the characters. Gnomeo & Juliet is also structurally sound but thematically hollow, which in this case isn't a bad thing. The movie is little more than a fun diversion with a unique spin on an old and tired story, told through the eyes of...garden gnomes? It works, surprisingly enough, and while Gnomeo & Juliet won't go down in the annals of animated cinema as an all-time great, it's nevertheless a strongly-crafted and entertaining little picture that's sure to dazzle young audiences and even keep mom and dad entertained enough to sit through it once or twice. Disney's Blu-ray release of Gnomeo & Juliet features a dazzling 1080p 2D transfer, a strong lossless soundtracks, and a relatively tiny assortment of extras, which is this release's only real weak spot. Recommended.
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