Forget The Meg, This Is The Silliest Movie Jason Statham Has Ever Been In (2024)

Jason Statham is the star of the outlandish shark movie The Meg, but this is still not the silliest movie he has ever been in. This is on account of existing — Disney's whimsical tale that takes inspiration from William Shakespeare's famous play, Romeo and Juliet. The 2011 motion picture is an innovative modern Shakespeare adaptation that retells the complicated story in a way that is engaging for younger viewers. The Meg may truly embrace the absurdity of its plot and defy the laws of logic, but from Disney's animated movie.

With a star-studded cast, Gnomeo & Juliet turns a silly premise into something hilarious and extremely heartfelt. The comical overtones of the movie are enhanced by , which exclusively features songs from Sir Elton John's legendary repertoire, connecting the classic tale to Disney's modern adaptation. Shakespeare's theme of forbidden love is reimagined through the eyes of two garden gnomes from rival communities. Gnomeo & Juliet's more playful foundations breathe new life into a timeless tale and Statham as the main antagonist adds to the oddity of Disney's project, especially in the midst of other major film releases.

Jason Statham Voiced Tybalt In Disney's Bizarre Gnomeo & Juliet Movie

The Rivaling Families In Gnomeo & Juliet Are Divided By A Garden Fence

Gnomeo and Juliet are two garden gnomes who become star-crossed lovers. Juliet is a "red" but Gnomeo is a "blue," which seemingly dooms their romance from the very beginning. The gnomes' rivalry is made obvious in the opening scene as Tybalt, voiced by Statham, challenges Gnomeo to a race with "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" as the backing track. It's an entirely ludicrous sequence that immediately sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Tybalt wins the race, and instantly kicks over one of his rivals, which establishes him as the antagonist.

Statham's character meets an unfortunate fate when, unaware of the wall in front of him, he crashes into the brick and smashes into pieces. Admittedly, Tybalt is not a role that Statham is completely unacquainted with if one were to explore his personality traits. The actor is known for portraying tough, confrontational characters. That being said, the animated children's movie is a stark contrast to his previous work, with nothing comparable in Statham's wide collection of action movies. Gnomeo & Juliet is a completely unexpected, bizarre entry in Statham's career, which only makes it all the more fascinating.

Jason Statham Was Not The Only Major Star In Disney's Gnomeo & Juliet

Almost Every Character In Gnomeo & Juliet Is Voiced By An A-Lister

Gnomeo & Juliet's stacked cast is what really elevates the film. The lead roles of Gnomeo Bluebury and Juliet Redbrick are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, who encapsulate Shakespeare's Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet's aura well. The red hat gnomes are led by Lord Redbrick in the Capulet garden, while the blue hat gnomes follow Lady Bluebury in the Montague garden — a homage to Shakespeare's original characters. However, the Disney adaptation replaces the traditional ending with a more lighthearted, upbeat conclusion, which is advantageous for its characters who then appear in its sequel, Sherlock Gnomes.

One of the standout performances is by Ashley Jensen as Nanette, the absent-minded garden frog who delivers some of the movie's funniest quotes. The selection of stars is incredibly random, with actors from different genres and styles that harmonize comedically in Gnomeo & Juliet with minimal flaws. Patrick Stewart voices Shakespeare himself, while other huge stars appear in the film's ensemble. Gnomeo & Juliet categorically boasts an incredibly impressive cast that excels in other Shakespeare adaptations, making it worth a viewing for this aspect alone, if not for anything else.

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G

Animation

Family

Gnomeo & Juliet is an animated feature that reimagines Shakespeare's classic tale within the context of feuding garden gnomes. The story follows Gnomeo and Juliet as they navigate challenges similar to their literary counterparts, amidst whimsical elements like plastic flamingos and lawnmower races.

Director

Kelly Asbury

Release Date

January 13, 2011

Writers

Johnny Smith , Kevin Cecil , Mark Burton , Rob Sprackling , Emily Cook

Cast

James McAvoy , Emily Blunt , Michael Caine , Maggie Smith , Julie Walters , Jim Cummings , Jason Statham , Ashley Jensen , Matt Lucas , Ozzy Osbourne , Patrick Stewart , Stephen Merchant , Dolly Parton , Hulk Hogan , Richard Wilson , Julio Bonet , Julia Braams , James Daniel Wilson , Tim Bentinck , Neil McCaul , Kelly Asbury

Character(s)

Gnomeo (voice) , Juliet (voice) , Lord Redbrick (voice) , Lady Bluebury (voice) , Lady Montague (voice) , Featherstone (voice) , Tybalt (voice) , Nanette (voice) , Benny (voice) , Fawn (voice) , William Shakespeare (voice) , Paris (voice) , Dolly Gnome (voice) , Terrafirminator V.O. (voice) , Mr. Capulet , Mankini Gnome (voice) , Stone Fish (voice) , Fishing Gnome (voice) , Conjoined Gnome Left (voice) , Conjoined Gnome Right (voice) , Red Good Gnomes (voice)

Runtime

84 minutes