“Shakespeare's revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover” is the pitch for Gnomeo and Juliet, Touchstone Pictures’ first real attempt at nabbing the audiences that go mad for the latest Pixar, DreamWorks, Fox/Blue Sky and Sony efforts. And now the first trailer has appeared over at Apple.
Unfortunately, while it appears to be co-opting many of the elements that, while they weren’t pioneered by the other animation studios, were at least honed by them, we’re not looking at a serious competitor just yet. A take on Romeo & Juliet that borrows from the Big Bucket Of 'Toon Tropes is one thing, but from the evidence of this first footage, Gnomeo relies a little too heavily on some tired gags (a Matrix spoof? Really?) and will probably end up indulging Elton John far too much.
But a trailer, of course, is just part of the story. The voice cast features decent talents such as James McAvoy, Emily Blunt and Patrick Stewart, and the director is Kelly Ashbury, a veteran of most of the big companies who co-directed Shrek 2.
The real test will come when the movie arrives on February 11. For now, take a look at the trailer for yourself at Apple.