The Sheep Detectives is a family-friendly whodunnit – a murder mystery with a flock of sheep looking for clues. Source: Australian Catholics.
The first laugh from the audience came when the MGM lion was transformed into a sheep. A good start.
Initially, I wondered about who the target audience was, especially when dealing with murder, not your usual suitable viewing for youngsters. However, this is simply a plot device to enable the sheep to get their woolly thinking caps on and solve the crime.
Who killed their beloved George (Jackman), a good shepherd, who knew each of his flock by name?
Throughout the film there are references to good and bad, justice and God. The reference to God was, I felt, a bit derisive, although framed in language that under-eights could understand.
Ideas of inclusion and collaboration were key, and I imagine it is the sort of film that children will ask sticky questions about. It may well be a film outsourced to grandparents and that would engender good discussions for youngsters who are learning about how to be good and do the right thing.
However, the real success here was the animation. It certainly had the cute factor. The digitally created sheep were fantastic. I loved Ron and Reggie, the basher boys, voiced by Brett Goldstein, Sebastian, the lonely leader (Bryan Cranston), Lily, the wise elder (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) and the little unnamed lamb born in winter (Tommy Birchall) whom the others sidelined. The voices chosen for each character suited well.
Emma Thompson was excellent as a bad lawyer in a bad purple suit and Nicholas Braun was a good-natured but initially bumbling village policeman.
There were some scattershot elements in the film, jokes over the heads of children that adults would like. However, I left the film feeling uplifted at the whimsical telling of the story with its moving daily wisdoms and life lessons ready to be passed onto our young folk.
Quite lovely. In other words, not baaaad at all!
Review by Ann Rennie, Jesuit Media
FULL REVIEW
The Sheep Detectives: Starring Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun. Directed by Kyle Balda. 109 minutes. Rated PG Mild themes, threat, violence and coarse language).
The Sheep Detectives (Australian Catholics)
