Sherlock Gnomes

2018  PG  ANIMATED  1h 26min

CAST— James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mary J. Blige, Johnny Depp

MUSIC— Chris Bacon  DIRECTOR— John Stevenson

     When last Gnomeo and Juliet were seen the subject was Shakespearean lore tempered with modern renditions of classic Elton John songs. Now Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes is molded into plaster, as Sherlock Gnomes is on the case of a recent rash of pilfered gnomes throughout London. Along for the ride (and most of the dirty work) is his partner in crime-solving, Dr. Watson, overworked and underappreciated. When the Montagues and Capulets arrive in London their new garden is given over to their old blue and red lawn decorations. Gnomeo and Juliet, no longer secretly pining for each other, are equal partners, their union now to be celebrated as they are announced to be in charge of the garden. But their new responsibilities as leaders put them at odds with each other again. During a lovers’ spat away from the garden a gnome thief strikes home, leaving not a trace of their family and friends. It’s up to Gnomes and Watson to solve the case, the clues to which all point to Sherlock’s archenemy, Moriarty, here portrayed as the cutesy mascot of an English pie company. Gnomeo and Juliet must join forces with the two sleuths, themselves having differences of opinion, if they hope to save London’s gnome population. Not as inventive, clever, or as funny as its predecessor, this pseudo mystery is purely a showcase for American Johnny Depp to put on a British accent and vocally ham it up as Sherlock. The mystery angle is obvious from the start, the characters already tired two films into the franchise, but less discerning audience members may appreciate the goofiness this sequel has to offer. AKA Gnomeo & Juliet 2.

OUR RATING— **

PRECEDED BY— Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

     The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw

1959  NR  COMEDY  1h 43min

CAST— Kenneth More, Jayne Mansfield, Henry Hull, William Campbell, Bruce Cabot, Robert Morley

MUSIC— Robert Farnon  DIRECTOR— Raoul Walsh  BASED ON— The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (story), by Jacob Hay

     A Western-comedy lacking adventure and/or antics, this one is pretty much a dud from the start. A ne’er-do-well heir to London’s finest firearms manufacturer decides that the best place to sell guns would be America’s Wild West. Off he heads to peddle his wares but he never manages to sell a single firearm. He does, however, make peace between the whites and the Indians, become sheriff of a rowdy town in the middle of a range war and manage to snare the girl of his dreams… all without a clue as to what’s going on. It sounds better than it is. Cheerio. AKA The Blonde and the Sheriff.

OUR RATING— * ½

     Shenandoah

1965  NR  WESTERN  1h 45min

CAST— James Stewart, Doug McClure, Glenn Corbit, Patrick Wayne, Rosemary Forsyth, Katherine Ross, Tim McIntire, Paul Fix, Denver Pyle, George Kennedy, James Best, Harry Carey, Jr., Dabbs Greer, Strother Martin

MUSIC— Frank Skinner  DIRECTOR— Andrew V. McLaglen

     In Civil War-torn Virginia a farmer (played by James Stewart) works tirelessly to maintain his farm and to keep his large family safe. However peaceful his viewpoint on life may be he tends to get a little riled when one of his clan is harassed. When his sixteen year-old son is mistaken for a Confederate and taken prisoner by Union soldiers Stewart takes it upon himself to mount a rescue operation, with most of his family in tow. Okay for a Civil War drama but if you’re looking for a tale of action you’d best look elsewhere.

OUR RATING— **

     She Freak

1967  NR  HORROR  1h 23min

CAST— Claire Brennen, Lee Raymond, Lynn Courtney

MUSIC— William Allen Castleman  DIRECTORS— Byron Mabe, Donn Davison

     Ugh. If your cup of tea is monotonous stock footage of carnival prep work look no further. A lonely waitress with a case of wanderlust sees the carnival as a gateway to her dreams. She quits serving at a greasy spoon… and begins life anew waitressing on the midway. She woos the carnival owner, seduces a worker and makes enemies of all manner of carny. It’s all in a day’s work. Don’t expect a horror flick here. Horrid, yes, but no scares. Ugh.

OUR RATING— *

Trailer Unavailable

     The Sheepman

1958  NR  WESTERN  1h 25min

CAST— Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Nielsen, Mickey Shaughnessy, Edgar Buchanan

MUSIC— Jeff Alexander  DIRECTOR— George Marshall

     Cast your vote: cattle vs. sheep. Glenn Ford plays a stranger in town with an even stranger idea: he plans to raise a flock of sheep in cattle country, using public range to do so. At first he’s laughed at; then he’s shot at. He’s taken to meet the local mover and shaker, played by Leslie Nielsen; as serendipity would have it Ford and Nielsen have a past, one that isn’t as squeaky clean as Nielsen would like to have known. Nielsen soon begins to use his minions rather forcefully to “persuade” Ford to take his flocks elsewhere. But Ford is not a man who scares easily; but when he gets riled, watch out. Often slow moving with bland humor thrown into the mix, though the cast is top notch.

OUR RATING— **