The title Gnomeo and Juliet brings with it some measure of hope — however faint — of a knowing yet accessible parody of Shakespeare, one that maintains relevance for today’s audiences and youngest viewers while exhibiting the proper reverence for its esteemed source material.
Such hope would be in vain.
Instead, that weak and too obvious play on words is an accurate indicator of the level of sophistication and inspiration on display. Despite its brief running time — less than 90 minutes — Gnomeo and Juliet is, for all but the most undiscerning viewers, an ordeal.
This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2011.