Many of the original characters and actors are back in a new caper. The hijinx move from the original's staid and much larger Stratford-upon-Avon garden to a teensy garden in London. For adults in love with both William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" as well as Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes," stay home. This movie is not a faithful adaptation of two literary classics or even a straightforward remix. It is some kind of alternate universe twice removed crossover fanfiction with a half-pike and a twist. A plot that is a shiny shamble and characters lacking any real motivation can still be more enjoyable than an elegant arthouse masterpiece.

Judging by the youngest audience members, I'd consider this piece a success. There was no crying, no tantrums and no one (miracle of miracles!) had to leave in the middle of "Sherlock Gnomes," which is blessedly paced to give a sleepy parent a bit of a nap and enough warning that the movie has ended. Both Gnomeo and Juliet were gifted with spots of dialogue to make them interesting enough that by the time Sherlock and Watson arrived each of the four were on equal footing.

At some point, I totally bought into the emotional lives of lawn furniture rambling around London, and I blame the fine folks who worked on it. The production is quite fun and well-edited. The designs convey attitude and attention to detail beyond the mere premise. Primarily trading in light, peppy rock tracks, there were the occasional emotional flourishes and pleasing usage of sound effects to round out the audio with Mary J. Blige's original song upping the ante. This very light family comedy did keep the humor a bit too cheeky for a G rating, but most of the little ones will have difficulty deciphering anything naughty.