GRADE: B

Mid-February, for some reason, is supposed to be all romantic. I get it, Valentine’s Day and all, but really?  It’s cold, wet and grey and not very enjoyable outside! Basically, it’s perfect weather to retreat to a movie theater for a few hours. And if you have a honey to snuggle up with I’d recommend checking out the new 3D CGI comedy Gnomeo and Juliet. Yes, you could disregard my advice and go see the new Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston rom-com, but let’s be real here, why take that chance? Why not get exactly what you expect from a movie based on Romeo and Juliet but played out by different colored garden gnomes? James McAvoy and Emily Blunt bring the star crossed lovers to life with dignity and heart and the supporting cast is worth the price of admission as well. Ozzy Osbourne and Patrick Stewart both provide ample laughs playing a fawn and William Shakespeare respectively. Still don’t think it’s worth it?  Hit the jump for three reasons why you should see this film.

One: The detail. Wow. Something has to be said about the level of care taken to make the gnome-world realistic. There is an adorable ceramic tinking whenever the gnomes move or touch each other. You get the feeling these beings are truly very fragile. Chips, nicks and scratches are noticeable on all of the main characters, indicating a life of close calls. What really took my breath away was a scene where Gnomeo and Juliet stared lovingly into each others eyes and you can actually make out the brush strokes that painted her iris.  The film is very culturally aware too, drawing on common media like The Matrix but also referencing Powerthirst, the mock energy drink commercial on the internet.

Two: The music. Sir Elton John was executive producer of the film and provided a very good portion of the soundtrack as well. Near the beginning of the movie there is a lawnmower race between the red and blue gnomes set to ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.’ In fact, any time that the reds and blues have a scuffle, Saturday Night starts up, modified slightly to echo the tone of the specific scene. Gnomeo even has his own theme music, ‘Rocket Man!’ Now I’m not the biggest Elton John fan, but it was incredibly enjoyable to hear ‘Crocodile Rock’ and ‘Bennie and the Jets’ backing the antics of sweet natured pottery people. The soundtrack is truly amazing.

Three: It’s fun! There are a few scenes that are a little heavy but they pass quickly and lighthearted antics start up again. Most of the humor is pretty childish; screwball physical comedy, a loud pink flamingo with an interesting accent, and a sunburned he-gnome in a European speedo. Some jokes are a little more PG-13, but again, they are few and far between. And try as I might, I couldn’t really find any grand, deep message or theoretical basis to the whole thing. I thought there would be some political commentary seeing as the rival gnomes refer to each other as Reds and Blues, but nothing held up. Really it’s just a fun movie. My favorite scene involved Gnomeo talking with a statue of Shakespeare about the ending of Romeo and Juliet. Their discussion is rather ingenious. While Bill talks about how his ending is a beautiful tragedy, Gnomeo says there has to be a better way than having these kids kill themselves.

Gnomeo and Juliet is actually very fun. While some of the jokes and the subject matter are less than original, sometimes it’s nice to just watch a heartfelt story play out in front of you. Also, the 3D is done very well. There are a few shots that exist just to show off, but for the most part, it is understated and relatively immersive. Usually I hate 3D films on principle but this one has too many good qualities to completely ignore or write off.

What Should You Do? See it in the theaters with your sweetie.