THE SHEEP DETECTIVES – Review by T.J. Callahan
The Sheep Detectives: A friend should never be forgotten.
Hugh Jackman lives in a caravan down by the river. He’s a shepherd in the little village of Denbrook in the English countryside and something baaaad is about to happen to him.
Jackman is George Hardy, a widower, a loner and a sheep lover. He says they are the kindest creatures on Earth. Hardy’s favorite pastime is reading detective novels to his herd and they listen intently. So much so, Lily, the leader of the lambs, becomes a real Shearlock Holmes. Good thing because, much to her surprise, she and the muttons must ewe-nite and become sleuths themselves as they help solve the case of who killed their beloved leader. What the flock?!
The Sheep Detectives is a mystery comedy directed by Kyle Balda (Minions), written by Craig Mazin (The Last of Us) and adapted from the novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. The PG rated family film also boasts a large ensemble cast including Emma Thompson, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Patrick Stewart and Hong Chau. Some are live and some are voice actors. That’s because The Sheep Detectives is a cross between Knives Out and Babe with a puzzle within a puzzle.
And now for more sheep puns… this Little Golden Book whodunnit doesn’t try to pull the wool over your eyes, ram any messages down your throat or fleece you of your time. It’s a not too overly sweet ovine story to tame all the bleating hearts out there. Ewe can’t help but smile as the credits roll. The Sheep Detectives is a wool-come surprise that hoofs it to a 7 out 10 on the TeejFlixometer.
