Parents' Guide to

Sherlock Gnomes

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

More peril, action in sweet but unsurprising sequel.

Movie PG 2018 86 minutes
Sherlock Gnomes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 8+

Based on 24 parent reviews

Christianmom116
Christianmom116 Adult
April 12, 2020
age 6+

superfluous lewd gay character

The story was good. But it was ruined by the sudden appearance of a male gnome wearing a thong, lipstick, with two red dots on his buttocks, gyrating across the screen. My children were surprised and disappointed. They insisted that I write this review and helped choose the wording.

This title has:

Too much sex
4 people found this helpful.
Tean2013
Tean2013 Adult
April 26, 2020
age 18+

Scary. Questionable. Not worth your time.

I have a 5 and 2 year old. We saw the first one and thought “oh fun another gnome movie” but this movie is AWFUL. Like seriously bad. It has scary gargoyles That terrified my kids. The main villain is also like a super scary doll character that even I found disturbing. Not to mention the overly sensual dance routine by a doll that was totally unexpected and not needed. There is nothing good to say. Not a single thing. I set my age suggested high to hopefully caution other parents to skip this especially because I saw age 6 in the recommended age and thought it would be ok. Should have read more reviews.

This title has:

Too much violence
2 people found this helpful.
See all 24 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SHERLOCK GNOMES, Sherlock Gnomes (voiced by Johnny Depp) -- the "sworn protector of garden gnomes" -- and his partner, Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), investigate gnome-nappings carried out by the villainous Moriarty (Jamie Demetriou). Moriarty is fatally wounded during a big confrontation, and Sherlock and Watson believe they've saved the day for good. Meanwhile, the garden gnomes from Gnomeo & Juliet move from the country to London, where they get settled in their new, much smaller garden. After the group's two leaders, Lady Bluebury (Maggie Smith) and Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine), announce their retirement, they appoint Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) as their successors. The pair disagree over the best way to lead, and soon a new outbreak of gnome-nappings puts their relationship to the test. After everyone in their garden goes missing, Gnomeo and Juliet force Sherlock to let them join his mission to figure out what's happened to all of London's gnomes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (24):
Kids say (23):

Aimed at young kids, this amusing but unsurprising sequel offers an easy-to-follow introduction to Sherlock Holmes' sleuthing genius. Depp voices the master of deduction (here named Sherlock Gnomes) with just the right amount of detached arrogance, and Ejiofor's Watson is appropriately patient and long-suffering. The missing gnomes mystery is intriguing, but the secondary drama surrounding Gnomeo and Juliet's relationship stress may fall flat with younger audiences -- especially considering how happy the couple was at the beginning of the story. Some of the jokes and one-liners are clearly targeted at adults (like when a male character demands not to be called "Tiny D"), and Mary J. Blige's performance as Irene Adler (who sings the mature post-breakup song "Stronger Than I Ever Was"), is going to go above kids' heads. That said, Blige's cameo as a Barbie-esque doll is one of the movie's highlights, and Demetriou's clever-and-crazy Moriarty is reminiscent of Andrew Scott's take on the villain in Sherlock.

Blunt's Juliet is a fine example of owning up to your mistakes, displaying courage under fire, and recognizing that a true partnership requires trust and communication. McEvoy's Gnomeo is good-hearted and utterly in love with his gnome mate, but he's got slightly less to do than Juliet, who's by Sherlock's side for most of the action. The romantic subplot between two other gnomes isn't as compelling as the original's love story, but the action-adventure is definitely a bigger part of the film. It's fun to hear executive producer Elton John's music, too. Ultimately, this is a cute family pick the kids will enjoy -- but probably not more than once.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether any of the characters in Sherlock Gnomes are role models. If so, which ones, and which character strengths do they demonstrate? How are teamwork and courage important to the story?

  • Were any parts of the movie scary to you? Why or why not? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?

  • Why do you think Sherlock Holmes is such an enduring/popular character in pop culture? What do you think of this movie as an introduction to the famous literary figure?

  • What are the movie's messages about friendship and romantic relationships? What does Juliet mean when she says that she knows you don't "need" a man to be happy but that the "right partner makes you stronger"?

Movie Details

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