Reviews

Cut the pretentious crud. This film is obviously intended to entertain a younger audience, and it does a good job at doing that, while somewhat tactfully putting in some jokes for the parents. No, it's not spectacular. If you watch this movie expecting something "Grade A", you're not going to get much out of it.

The plot: generic, predictable. But obviously so, considering it's called "Gnomeo and Juliet".

The cast is an oddball compilation of respectable actors, with the exception of the obscure addition of Ozzy. But what is really keeping this movie going is the cuteness of it. That is the selling point, and what makes it most appealing. If you go into this movie expecting something more, you will be left disappointed. So I suggested you loosen up, look for a laugh, and you'll enjoy it more. It's not a bad film.

Many knew what was coming when they heard Tim Burton was directing a re-vamp of Alice in Wonderland. A visual masterpiece was expected, and it was achieved. The visuals keep the Wonderland feel by not being too realistic, yet not cartoon-y.

The storyline was fresh and unique. Although, I feel Burton took a few too many liberties. And having too many liberties in Wonderland is something that's hard to accomplish. Burton's Wonderland seemed a bit too organized. Wonderland is supposed to be where the impossible and the unexpected happens. I did quite like the storyline, but it seemed slightly predictable they way Burton set it up (i.e. the "Oraculum").

All in all, it was a very enjoyable film. Although it had very typical Burton casting (Depp, Bonham Carter, Spall, Rickman, etc), the actors all had great performances. And the visual effects were brilliant. The soundtrack was stunning as well.

I love it. Subtract a star for the unvaried cast, and another for the predictability in the storyline, and you've got yourself 8/10 stars.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first walked into the theatre.

Shortly after the first lines are said, you know this will be a good film. The time period is so realistic. There's just the right amount of humour to make it clever, but not too much to make it too silly.

Robert Downey Jr. makes the character his own, and Jude Law as Dr. Watson keeps pace.

The mystery is excellently set up and well executed.

I've seen this film twice at the cinema, and I still had a great time even after knowing how the case is solved. Action fans, suspense fans, comedy fans, and/or history fans will love it. :)

As a person who has read half of the book, I'd say I have half the right to criticize Jackson's adaptation.

Positive aspects: The Earth scenes. I really loved how the scenes with the living worked out, despite a few times when the order of things got changed around. The only part that really bugged me about the Earth scenes, were the ones with Ray Singh. Why didn't they cast an actor who's actually close to the age the character's supposed to be?

Negative: The Heaven scenes were completely messed up. People seem to be complaining about the amount of CGI used in "Heaven." It's not the CGI that bugged me, it's the content of it. She's supposed to be in a stable place, especially near the beginning. Not in a weird place that changes with her emotions.

I generously give this film a 7/10, because I think the movie really appeals to the people who aren't familiar with the story. The friend I went with, who didn't read the book, really enjoyed it. It's worth seeing if you have no interest in reading the book. But if you have read the book, the movie may ruin the story for you.