As it turns out, there isn't all that much gnome-related humor. Furthermore, the tenuous connection that exists between Shakespeare's divine tragedy and Gnomeo and Juliet resides solely on the word "Romeo" sounding somewhat like the word "Gnome." We can surmise that if the Bard had named his playRichard and Juliet then Elton John never would have gotten involved and the now fully exploited gnome comedy genre would have gone forever unrealized, a weird pun fork in the road never taken. Of course, that is neither here nor there, and we're basically left with a children's film that is reasonably cute. Douglas Adams might have called it "Mostly Harmless."
This updated version of Montagues and Capulets has been simplified for youngsters, but there are still plenty of in jokes for Shakespeare fans. Two neighbors (who happen to hate each other) each have enormous gnome-filled gardens. The gnomes on one side are called the reds, the other group are known as the blues. That's right, it's Crips vs. Bloods, gnome style! The gnomes conform to a few logical tenets, they go stiff whenever humans see them, they are breakable, and they race lawn mowers against each other. So far, so good.
The bulk of the story centers around Juliet, a member of the red family, meeting Gnomeo, a proud blue. Why did Gnomeo's parents choose to name him after the object he actually is? This subject is not broached, though ideally it will kick off a generation of children named Humaneo. Gnomeo and Juliet's love is, of course, completely verboten. Juliet's dad disapproves of his daughter showing any independence and Gnomeo's mom seems mostly focused on mourning her dead husband. So no, you're not going to find anything approximating fleshed out (hardy har) gnome characters.
Where Gnomeo and Juliet struggles is the lack of crossover adult appeal. Sure, there are a few Shakespearean punch lines, maybe a smirk or two for the folks who pay rent. I should also mention the involvement of Elton John, an inclusion that would theoretically appeal to an older demographic. His work forms the entire score -- from "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" to "Crocodile Rock," you can't spend five minutes watching Gnomeo without another Elton John tune popping up. Sadly, the music is largely wasted on the material, as somehow gnomes racing a lawnmower doesn't organically translate to a song about fighting and getting a little action in.
So what are we left with? This doesn't rise to the lofty artistic levels of Pixar or the supremely entertaining levels of Dreamworks Animation, though children under 10 should enjoy it. The 3-D is relatively pointless, but that seems to be in the grand tradition of 3-D these days. Gnomeo and Juliet is a movie about gnomes finding love, rising above their differences, and Elton John songs. There's not much to it, but it's not a completely absurd viewing experience. As such, gnome if you want to.*
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