Parents' Guide to

Gnomeo & Juliet

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Creative, much less tragic take on classic love story.

Movie G 2011 84 minutes
Gnomeo & Juliet Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • 2:27
  • Gnomeo & Juliet Movie: Gnomeo and Juliet meet at night
  • Gnomeo & Juliet Movie: A human taps a garden gnome on the head

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age 6+

Based on 74 parent reviews

Faith0383
Faith0383 Adult
July 5, 2011
age 10+

It's not the violence, it's the underlying sexual references...

OK guys,, just my opinion here, but the violence in the movie wasn't the issue for me. A lot of basic television shows show much more "violence" than this film, and our kids are exposed to it just by being near it. Hell, the kids at school are just as ruthless as some of these. Point it, there is always some sort of nemesis or bad guy, but good always overcomes, so whatever. My primary problem was the fact that they allowed so many sexual slips in the film. There were these little 2 or 3 word phrases that had an underlying meaning (sexually) that bothered me. Now, my children are 8 and 10, and they didn't really notice, but that isn't my issue. It simply bothers me because I don't understand why they had to be put in there at all. For instance, the scene with the two males gnomes stuck together, and one looks at the other and says, "I wish I knew how to quit you." That is one of the most famous lines straight from Brokeback Mountain. Then when as Juliet is describing Gnomeo, the frog asks, "Is his hat BIG and POINTY?" And the last right off the top of my head is when they tell Juliet she's got "Junk in Her Trunk." These are a few that stick out in my mind, but there were SEVERAL others that were more BLATANT. Like I said, my kids don't really pick up on "inside jokes" necessarily, but the fact that the makers felt it necessary to include it in the film is absolutely ridiculous. It's not overkill just yet, but I notice things like this are being inserted more and more in these CHILDREN'S films. If it is supposed to be for ALL AGES, then I shouldn't have to feel like I need to screen it for my 8 and 10 year old to make sure that "this time" they didn't decide to go "over the line." My kids are a little older, and since I don't make a BIG DEAL about it, they seem to disregard some of it. But it's the "Junk in her Trunk" that my daughter notices and immediately wants to know what that means. Then I get to explain what they're talking about. They're getting stupid with it, and I feel if it is FOR CHILDREN, then let it be FOR CHILDREN... Good grief. I know adults want to be entertained as well, but if you're an adult, and you feel the need for some ADULT CARTOON ENTERTAINMENT, then by all means go watch Family Guy, or American Dad.. Those should give you your fill of inappropriate behavior and sexual references. Other than that, the film was mediocre. My kids begged to watch it, and they thought it was alright. They didn't really go bananas like they thought they would.. So there ya go my opinion in a BIG OL' NUTSHELL.. :) OH PS - If you don't recall what I am referring to, before you attack me as a crazy mom, watch it again, I promise you'll notice them this time. I just pick up on stuff like that, and if I don't my husband does.
Alison S.
Alison S. Adult
July 1, 2024
age 5+

See all 74 parent reviews

What's the Story?

You're probably familiar with the basic story of GNOMEO AND JULIET -- since it's based on the most famous tale of star-crossed lovers ever told -- but this version features English garden gnomes. On Verona Avenue, two houses owned by feuding owners Miss Montague (voiced by Julie Walters) and Mr. Capulet (Richard Wilson) feature gardens that come to life with groups of equally adversarial gnomes, led by Lady Bluebury (Maggie Smith) and Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine). One night, when they're both in disguise, Lady Bluebury's handsome son, Gnomeo (James McAvoy), meets Lord Redbrick's lovely daughter. Juliet (Emily Blunt), and they form an instant connection ... until they realize they're from rival gardens. Skirmishes between the two families cause the "star-crossed lovers" to rendezvous in a neutral garden, where an old plastic flamingo Benny (Matt Lucas) helps them see that their love is stronger than the enmity between their gardens.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (74 ):
Kids say (96 ):

Young kids will love all the loopy gnome humor -- even if they don't get all of the jokes -- and it's a great way to introduce them to Shakespeare. The premise of the story may sound a bit off-putting at first -- Shakespeare's much-beloved tragedy via CGI gnomes? But, of course, that's what purists must've thought when they first heard about West Side Story, and that's one of the greatest musicals ever. So enter Gnomeo and Juliet with an open mind, and you'll find this adaptation quite original and amusing -- and equally (if not more) a tribute to producer Elton John as it is to Shakespeare. John's best songs -- including "Bennie and the Jets," "I'm Still Standing," "Crocodile Rock," and "Your Song" -- are all incorporated in the score, and the larger-than-life singer even recorded two songs especially for the soundtrack. The result is a familiar accompaniment to an even more familiar tale -- much like a Baz Luhrmann production for kids and parents.

Grown-ups familiar with Shakespeare's works will have fun noting all of the movie's Bard references (like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Movers, Tempest Teapots, and a line from Macbeth, to name just a few ) and watching the tragic tale transform into a comedy performed by some of Britain's finest actors and comedians. McAvoy and Blunt, it's obvious, are charming whether in the flesh or voicing animated lawn decorations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes Romeo and Juliet such a timeless story. What's so fascinating about "doomed love"? What are some other movies loosely based on Romeo and Juliet?

  • Why couldn't the blue and red gnomes get along? Did the gnomes have understandable reasons for wanting to get back at each other? How else could they have solved their problems?

  • The William Shakespeare statue jokes that the original story doesn't end well; how did the filmmakers modify the ending here? Do you think it's OK to change a classic story? In this version, what motivates the two sides to come together?

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