By Mark Fields
Ovine Mystery Comedy Delights with Goofy Charm
George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is an eccentric sheep farmer who entertains his flock and himself by reading mystery stories to them every night, knowing that they cannot possibly understand the words. When George turns up dead, the human police are all too quick to rule it accidental, but George’s much-loved sheep decide it must be murder and go about using the knowledge they gained from his stories to solve the crime. This is the silly, light-hearted, and ultimately irrepressible premise of The Sheep Detectives, a family comedy that blends live action and CGI talking sheep.
Despite the murder mystery at the heart of this movie, the overall substance (and tone) of this film is light as a tuft of wool, and everybody seems to be having a fun time: both the human actors Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Galitzine, and Molly Gordon and the all-star voice cast that includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brett Goldstein, Bryan Cranston, Bella Ramsey, and Sir Patrick Stewart.
Director Kyle Barda, a veteran of many animated features (Minions, The Lorax), makes his live-action debut here, but he brings the same light touch and goofball sensibility to The Sheep Detectives. Based on the book Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, the story delivers the expected beats of a stalwart British parlor murder: the small-town setting, the mix of possible suspects, the suspicious behavior by everyone. The novelty, of course, comes from the sheep solvers led by Louis-Dreyfus as Lily, the matriarch of the herd. In fact, much of the enjoyment of the movie comes from the disparate personalities of the sheep cast well-conveyed by the amusing voice cast. So entertaining are these sheep that one can actually forget that they are only CGI effects.
There is no great art or profound thought to be had in The Sheep Detectives, but it is nonetheless a diverting and enjoyable movie, not baaad at all.
Official Trailer
