Family Movie Night: Shakespeare for Kids? That’s it in this fun and accessible love story!

Romeo and Juliet with garden gnomes! We couldn’t more easily summarize Gnomeo and Juliet, the ultra-lovely animated film signed by director Kelly Asbury, who started as an artist at Disney (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), then Pixar (Toy Story) and on the stage Shrek 2.

From 6 years

The film is a good introduction to the story of Romeo and Juliet as it retains the names of the Montagues and Capulets, moves the action to modern times and is confined to two gardens separated by a fence. A little clarification, there are a few songs in Gnomeo and Juliet, as it is also a musical punctuated with songs by Elton John, who is also involved in the production!

The supporting cast is tastier and deeper than it seems (especially that faience fish that can’t swim because of that) with a message of tolerance and openness already present in the source material.

Older kids can enjoy the numerous references to pop culture movies, from Private Ryan to The Matrix, Ben-Hur or of course Toy Story – objects that come to life no matter how you think about them – all done so that adults also have something to do before the movie With a script that they really know.

What will they like?

• Reimagining the universal story of Romeo and Juliet in a setting that makes it all immediately accessible and frees up the original work’s darkest moments. Moreover, Shakespeare talks about his work!
• The face of the garden gnomes, but also Nanette the frog, Champi mushroom with the smell of a dog, and the flamingo pink plastic flamingo.
• Good atmosphere of the movie, perfect for spending good time with family.

What might be bothering them:

• The hero is put in danger several times when he is involved in a lawnmower race or finds himself in the middle of the road with cars that graze him too close.
• Blue Dwarf Penetration/Revenge Against Red Dwarfs is full of glitches that might make little ones cringe. Otherwise, the film is harmless.

Do they ask for more?

If they are involved, hurry to Sherlock Gnomes, where the garden gnomes are helped by the famous detective and his partner Watson to solve the sudden disappearance of several of them. Beware: The movie is not available on Disney+.