Sometimes it seems like the last thing this world needs is more adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. From musical versions to revamped high school settings, it seems like they have seen it all. But the newest addition to the already varied collection just might be the most bizarre of all. It’s Romeo and Juliet- as garden gnomes.

Just hearing the title Gnomeo and Juliet brings to mind questions like, who exactly came up with this idea, and what exactly were they doing at the time? But Gnomeo and Juliet is a surprisingly sweet and endlessly cute movie. In the movie, the star crossed gnomes are next door neighbors, occupying the front lawns of Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet. Gnomeo and his family are blue hats, while Juliet is a red hat, and the two gnome families are sworn enemies.

The story doesn’t follow Romeo and Juliet exactly as some of the key plot elements (like the suicides) are disposed of in order to avoid scarring the younger viewers, and there are some additions, like a slightly delusional plastic flamingo who helps the lovers realize the importance of true love, and a giant bronze statue of Shakespeare who is surprised to see just how similar Gnomeo’s story is to a certain play he once wrote. Some familiar faces include Paris, and his surprise love interest Juliet’s nurse, a ceramic frog. Names aside, the characters take on a life of their own, and Juliet the gnome is a lot braver than her counterpart ever was.

The score, a compilation of Elton John music, adds to the lighthearted  feel of the movie, and makes Gnomeo and Juliet is the perfect feel good movie and definately worth a see. Does it capture the tragedy of the play? Not exactly, considering the ending consists of a bunch of lawn ornaments singing Crocodile Rock. The movie may not not be attempting to capture the tragedy that made the play so famous,  but then again, how seriously could a movie featuring garden gnomes be taking itself?