Sherlock Gnomes introduces kids to some classic characters

Movie Title:    Sherlock Gnomes

Grade:   B-

Rating: PG, 86 minutes

In a Nutshell:  With original music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, this gnome animation is a gentle introduction to Sir Arthur Conan Dole’s classic story of Sherlock Holmes.  It has action, comedy, good music, and uplifting themes, making it an entertaining movie for kids and watchable enough for parents.

Tips for parents: 

• Profanity like “Cheese & Crackers!” and “Fertilizer!”
• You see quite a bit of a dancing gnome in a thong.  If you saw the first Gnomeo & Juliet, you’ve already been introduced to Mankini, a character kids will laugh at, yet one who is pretty inappropriate for young children, in my opinion.  The first Gnomeo & Juliet was rated G, but this one is PG for using some rude and suggestive humor.  Mankini's appearances definitely bumped up the rating. 
• There is some potty humor that will make most parents squirm.
• Some subtitles
• All British accents and landmarks in London.

Uplifting theme: 

• “We all have our good and bad sides.” – Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor)
• “A man doesn’t make you strong, but the right partner can make you stronger.” – Juliet (Emily Blunt)
• “We took our best friends for granted.  We stopped listening.  We stopped giving them the respect they deserved.  They were the last thing we were thinking about and they should have been the first.” - Juliet
• Family and friendships

Things I liked:

• Star-studded, award-winning voice talents include James McAvoy, Johhny Depp, Michael Caine, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Maggie Smith, and Mary J. Blige.
• The animation is very well done with impressively expressive characters.
• Lots of physical gags and entertaining visuals.
• Fun soundtrack of popular hits and new songs.
• It uses several different types of animation, which I thought was cleverly done.
• A couple of twists.  I love twists.
• The sound effects were really good, allowing you to hear the clay pots and hear the weight of the gnomes.
• Stay to the end of the rolling credits to see a few more little things.
• Kids will like the use of modern technology in the story telling.

Things I didn’t like:

• Sherlock Gnomes is pretty annoying and not very likable.  If only they had gotten Benedict Cumberbatch to play the voice!  He does a fantastic job in the TV adaptation.  That would have been awesome and hilarious.  Don't get me wrong, because Johnny Depp was fine, but Cumberbatch as Sherlock...come on!
• There are a lot of jokes that kids simply won’t get because they’re references to older generations, like the River Dance gag.
• I started to get bored.  It felt like a video I would put on for my kids at home to keep them occupied while I got some work done.

Funny lines:

• “To be fair, it was needlessly complicated, but that’s what super villains do.” – Moriarty

Want to learn more about Sherlock Holmes? Check out the original stories! The books are always better than the movies (except for the The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring / The Two Towers / The Return of the 
King Extended Editions) [Blu-ray])  

Here are also some fun Sherlock Holmes products you might get a kick out of.

                                 

                                                         

  

                                                                       @trinaboice

Mr. Holmes is a must-see for Sherlock Holmes fans

                           ON DVD November 17, 2015

Movie:     Mr. Holmes

Rating:    PG

Grade:   A

In a Nutshell:    Super Sleuth Sherlock Holmes is retired and doesn’t live on Baker Street anymore.  This is not an action-packed Sherlock Holmes like we've seen done by Robert Downey Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch, but rather, a thoughtful drama that showcases Ian McKellen as an aging, grumpy detective who still has one more mystery to solve and something to learn.

If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, this is a must-see film that will add even greater depth to your love of this timeless character.  I attended a walking tour in London all about Sherlock Holmes.  So, yeah...

Uplifting Theme:

·          “Logic doesn’t solve matters of the heart.” – Holmes

      -  "The understanding of facts doesn’t mean you understand their meaning." - Sherlock

·            There are 3 examples of life and death: Holmes' bees, Ann Kelmot, and Sherlock Holmes.  Ann later explains,  “The dead are not so very far away.  They’re just on the other side of the wall.  It’s us on this side who are all alone.”  – Ann Kelmot (Hattie Morahan)

·          

Things I liked:

·         I liked the musical score immediately.  Thank you Carter Burwell.

·         Ian McKellen does an outstanding job as Sherlock Holmes.  Who doesn't love the man who brought us Gandolf?  Did you know that he is the recipient of 6 Laurence Olivier Awards, a tony Award, a Golden Globe Ward, a Screen Actors Guild Award, 2 Academy Award nominations and 4 BAFTA nominations and 5 Emmy nominations?!  This film could easily add another nomination to his prestigious list.

·         Laura Linney’s accent is a bit off, but I have always liked her. It sounds like a mix of English, Welsh, and Scottish.  What is it?

·         Young Milo Parker plays Roger, the son of Sherlock’s housekeeper....a young star in the making.

·         Beautiful English countryside.  Look for the White Cliffs of Dover.

      You only see Watson's legs and hands.  Clever.

·        

Things I didn’t like:

·          It’s very slow-moving.  Then again, so is the elderly Sherlock Holmes.

        

Funny lines:  

·          “When you are a detective and a man comes to visit you, it’s usually about his wife.” – Sherlock

·         “I told Watson if I ever write a story, it will be to correct the million misconceptions created by his imaginative license.” – Sherlock

·         “Did you find what you were looking for in Japan?  The mysterious Ashley prick?” – Doctor

“The prickly ash.” – Sherlock

·         “Fiction is worthless!” – Sherlock

·          

Interesting lines:

·         “I think I was real once, until John made me into fiction and then after that I just had a choice: play the part as he had fashioned it or become its contradiction.” - Sherlock

·         “My study is my sanctum sanctorum…private place.” – Holmes

·         “I’ve never had much use for imagination.  I prefer facts.” – Sherlock

·         “Death, mourning, grief…they’re all commonplace.  Logic is more rare.  I dwell on that.” – Sherlock

·         “Her death made me see that human nature was a mystery that logic could not illuminate.” – Sherlock Holmes

  “Don’t say everything you think.” – Mrs. Munro

·          Tips for Parents:

·          This is not a fast-moving mystery that kids will get a kick out of, but more of a “thinking man’s movie” that might bore them.  The target audience is probably an older audience, and true Sherlock buffs.

·     Murrder, death and suicide are the prominent themes, which you may not want young children to watch..

·         Sherlock informs his simple housekeeper, “Exceptional children are often the product of unremarkable parents.”   

·         The bombing of Hiroshima is represented in a very sobering way.  Your kids may not be familiar with this aspect of history.

Sherlock Holmes movies to add to your collection:

 

The Quiet Ones Inspires a Noisy Audience

Movie Title:   The Quiet Ones

PG-13, 1 hour 38 minutes

 

Grade:   C

In a Nutshell:  This is a campy horror film that is inspired by supposed true events.  Led by the talented Jared Harris of Mad Men: Seasons 1-4 and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows , this creepy movie has all the familiar ingredients: mysterious noises coming from cob-webbed rooms in a dimly-lit house, scary gags that make you jump in your seat, sinister characters that make you laugh nervously, and a plot that unravels if you shine the light on it.

 

The movie title certainly wasn’t referring to the audience I sat with.  The teenagers in the audience yelled “OMG!”, screamed, laughed, and commented loudly on every scene, providing additional entertainment in an otherwise empty theater.  During the scene where an older man and younger girl kiss, one of the girls in the audience yelled “Get out!”  Whenever something unbelievable would happen, another teen in the audience would scream “Shut up!”  ha ha

 

Theme: 

• Who is the REAL crazy one? 
• Talk about manifesting your negative energy!

Things I liked:

 

• Director John Pogue successfully creates an atmosphere that provides an air of ethereal history.
• Nice touch to show artifacts and old photographs at the end of the film.
• It’s a good movie for teens to watch on DVD on a Friday night when they want to laugh and be scared at the same time during a party with their friends. 

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s ironic that a movie entitled The Quiet Ones spends so much time cranking up the volume on screams to get a reaction out of the audience.
• The jiggly camera effects made me more dizzy than scared.
• Everyone in the movie is always crying or sweating. 
• A bit predictable.  Even the twist ending isn’t original.

 

Interesting  lines:

• “You’re scared because you can’t explain what you’ve seen.”  - Professor Joseph Coupland
• “It’s human nature to question and be skeptical.” – Professor Joseph Coupland
• “He saved me from myself.”  - Jane Harper

Tips for parents:  Despite its PG-13 rating, the movie will give young kids nightmares.  There is very little profanity.