Courtney Howard // Film Critic
Rated PG, 1 hour and 49 minutes
Directed by: Kyle Balda
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Molly Gordon, Tommy Birchall, Nicholas Braun, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Galitzine, Hong Chau, Tosin Cole, Conleth Hill, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Rhys Darby, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein
In the most basic of terms, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES is like SHAUN THE SHEEP meets BABE meets KNIVES OUT, yet it’s blessedly never derivative of its inspirations and is totally clear-eyed in its aims. It actually surpasses the most recent KNIVES OUT sequel WAKE UP DEAD MAN, as its construction of the whodunit never gets tangled up in itself, nor does it rely on frequent, copious exposition dumps. Based on German author Leonie Swann’s “Three Bags Full,” and adapted by Craig Mazin, director Kyle Balda’s hugely charming live action-CG animated hybrid tells the tale of a dashing, deceased shepherd and his flock of sheep who set out to solve the mystery of his suspicious murder. Its sweet nature, gentle humor and irrepressible spirit make it an absolute winner when it comes to contemporary family-friendly features that touch audiences’ heads and hearts.
Shepherd George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) lives with meaningful simplicity in mind in the quaint English countryside town of Denbrook, residing in a retro Streamline trailer, tending to his flock of sheep and purposely keeping away from others. The only person the widower reaches out to is a woman named “Rebecca” (Molly Gordon), to whom he writes on scented stationery about his blissful life and petty strife. Amongst his human foes are his fancy neighbor shepherd Caleb (Tosin Cole), mean butcher Ham (Conleth Hill), jealous innkeeper Beth (Hong Chau), and Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith). Still, he finds peace reading mystery novels at sunset to his adorable wooly fwends, smart Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), loner Sebastian (Bryan Cranston), historian Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), diva Cloud (Regina Hall), bumbling Wooly-Eyes (Rhys Darby), regal Sir Ritchfield (Patrick Stewart), headstrong rams Ronnie and Reggie (Brett Goldstein), and youthful sprite Zora (Bella Ramsey).
However, one dark and stormy night, everything changes. Just as the Denbrook Cultural Festival begins to get underway and the Big City Gazette journalist Elliot (Nicholas Galitzine) has arrived to cover the happenings, George turns up dead in his field with few clues for the hapless policeman Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) to decipher. Turns out, though the deceased acted like he was a man of humble means, his lawyer Lydia (Emma Thompson) informs everyone he actually had $30 million in the bank and a will that was suspiciously altered 3 days before he died. With a motive for foul play clearly laid out, Lily, Mopple and Sebastian put their training to good use to solve their caretaker’s murder. They just have to overcome their fears and past traumas to do so – and therein lies our heartening, heartrending adventure.
It doesn’t take long to settle into the cozy comfort the filmmakers are serving up for the nourishment of our weary souls and minds. Balda and company have tapped into the novel’s retrofitted easy sway, unfolding Agatha Christie-esque mystery and well-written characters. Changes in the human and animals’ POVs are handled with comedic panache. Cutting to a sheep bleating as a stand-in for a sassy quip will never not be funny. In an ensemble teaming with colorful characters, it’s a highlight that everyone has an arc with a satisfying sense of closure.
Ecologically-minded sentiments on vegetarianism are delivered with a soft touch. Yet its poignancy and enlightened commentary on bravery, inclusion, friendship, confronting grief, denial, sacrifice, and conquering seemingly impossible obstacles, all captured through its humorously absurdist lens, are what feel most impactful for all ages. As the subject matter deals with death, the filmmakers embrace both light and darker tonal shifts to great reward. The rejected Winter Lamb (Tommy Birchall) eagerly volunteering to help despite the rudeness of his oppressors, as well as the totality of Sebastian’s arc are resonant story threads.
Though savvy spectators might figure out the culprit before the mystery concludes (as I had my sneaking suspicions of who it is before the reveal), the remaining journey that follows is still absolutely entertaining. Thanks to Visual effects supervisor Graham Page and his VFX teams at Framestore, in addition to Creature Supervisor Dorothy Ballarini, the sheep are all expressive, dynamic personalities, connoting emotions through their physicality, not solely through the voice actors’ performances. Dreyfus, Cranston and Dowd all bring their A-games, delivering multi-faceted work. Gordon and Jackman infuse their performances with nuance, vulnerability and strength. As for supporting performers, Thompson nails the vibe – and then some. She’s totally game to roll with her rat-a-tat, sharp dialogue and dig into the dry wit.
With Swann’s sequel book already in existence (“Big Bad Wool”) in addition to this splendid, baaa-rilliant kick off, franchise potential serves to excite. We should all welcome a sequel.
Grade: 4.5 out of 5
THE SHEEP DETECTIVES will be in theaters on May 8.
