In the world of cosy crime, everybody lives in picture postcard villages where the gardens are immaculate, the scones freshly baked, and the neighbours conveniently nosy. Such is life in tranquil Denbrook, until murder comes calling and a flock of sheep decides to outwit the bumbling local bobby and solve the crime themselves. Or, if you prefer, Agatha Christie locks horns with Knives Out. Welcome to The Sheep Detectives.
George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) lives in his caravan outside the village, rearing his sheep for wool. Despite overtures from the combined forces of the local butcher and another shepherd, selling them for meat just isn’t on the agenda. Every evening, he reads murder mysteries to the flock as their bedtime story, but, ironically, he becomes the focus of an investigation when his body is found sprawled in the grass. Police officer Derry (Nicholas Braun) clearly isn’t up to the job, despite his high opinion of himself, and the arrival of George’s flashy lawyer, Lydia Pettigrew (Emma Thompson) and his daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon) complicates matters. So it’s down to the sheep, led by the super-intelligent Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her loveable sidekick Mopple (the voice of Chris O’Dowd), to work out who killed George.
The film comes with a pedigree. Long-term Minions collaborator, Kyle Balda, is in the director’s chair, with the near-ubiquitous Phil Lord and Christopher Miller serving as executive producers. It all raises expectations, and The Sheep Detectives comes oh-so-close to meeting them, but not quite close enough. Played very much for laughs, but delivering more warm smiles and giggles than actual guffaws, this cuddly ewe-dunnit is laden with tropes from the genre and draws on more murder mystery favourites than just Christie and Knives Out. Murder She Wrote, among others, comes to mind, with Lily seeking out the killer, helped by the slightly dippy but adoring Mopple. It knows its territory, with the village gardens clearly waiting for a visit from the Chelsea Flower Show judges. And it would get a medal. There’s also a double helping of star-studded ensembles, one of which is a perfectly chosen voice cast for those all-important sheep.
Both have their stand-outs. Among those with two legs, Thompson makes the most of her limited appearances as the suspiciously sharp lawyer, Lydia, all lurid suits and chunky earrings. It’s sad, though, to see the talents of Hong Chau given so little to do in what comes close to being a non-role as the owner of the local hotel. So it falls to the four-legged VFX crew to provide the real scene stealers, a pair of twin rams with hair-trigger tempers and deliciously christened Ronnie and Reggie. Their mission in life is simple: to bash everything in sight, given half a chance. Voiced by Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein, they’re the comedy highlight of the film, an inspired marriage of voice and visual effects that creates a pair of stars. You desperately want them to get their big chance to bash something – and you cheer when they do!
While The Sheep Detectives could have been a parody of the current vogue for cosy crime, it doesn’t see itself that way. There’s too much love for the genre and, instead, the film pitches itself as a comedy, but there’s one vital ingredient missing. Proper, heartfelt laughs are in conspicuously short supply, with too many gags failing to land and some of the physical comedy falling flat. Yes, it’ll make you smile and keep both adults and children happy in equal measure, but, as a comedy, it falls at the final and most important hurdle. It’s eminently likeable, but you can’t help feeling short-changed.
★★★
In cinemas from May 8th / Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart / Dir: Kyle Balda / Sony Pictures / PG
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