By Josh Ball
“Among you are a fool, a bad shepherd, a spring lamb, a winter lamb, a victim, and two murderers.”
George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) was a shepherd. Each night he read to his sheep. Night by night, chapter by chapter, George led the sheep through mystery novels. Unknown to him, the creatures understood every word. This beloved pastime was cut short when George died during a rainy night.
Seeing the incompetence of the local cop, Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) and sheep Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) set out to solve the case. With the help of Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) and Sebastian (Bryan Cranston), she whittles down the suspects until the final, explosive reveal.
Everything about the film was good. It was funny like a family film should be, but presented serious themes in a way children can handle, while also providing content to make adults think. Behind it all, the mystery was expertly handled with clues and red herrings making the reveal surprising but sensible.
Themes of grief and acceptance take the forefront. The flock deal with these in a silly way for children, but the depth of them make the film enjoyable for adults as well. In the background, the condemnation of undue prejudice is prevalent. What sets “The Sheep Detectives” apart in this exploration is its offering of the right conception of justice. The writers solved the problem instead of simply posing one.
The most important discussion was on the difference between smart and wise.
“You may be the wisest sheep, but Mopple is the wisest,” said George to Lily.
This line stopped Lily from giving up when the mystery began to overwhelm her. The writers chose the right time in the film for this discussion, making it hit harder and sink deeper, for both Lily and the audience.
Each scene built on the last and laid the groundwork for later ones. The result: a film where every scene is needed and serves a purpose. Crucially, the jokes never undercut the tone of the scene. Every punchline, even those at the expense of a character, was recalled in a meaningful or important way later in the film.
This forced the writers to be efficient with screentime. Some characters, like Sebastian, who got only a few minutes made the most impact emotionally. The wise, straight-shooting ram is a bit of a loner, but his every line is meaningful. He is one of the most effective characters at imparting wisdom and showing what it means to live a good life. Sebastian serves as a beacon of morality — his constantly seeking what is right and just is biblically profound.
Only one area stood out as less than stellar: the character of Beth Pennock (Hong Chau). In George’s will, he named seven people to be present at the reading, among them the florist. Most of those named played important, if underestimated roles. But Beth simply did not need to be included in the film. The only purpose was a small twist for shock value, with no significance on the overall story. Her role was so small, the writers and I both forgot she was even a character.
Though the character was unneeded, Hong Chau performed it well. The money for the surprisingly all-star cast was well-spent. The human actors spent more time interacting with sheep than people, meaning they were acting against nothing. This is not an easy task, but they all rose to the challenge and cashed-in amazingly believable performances. Sir Patrick Stewart lent his iconic voice to the lunatic patriarch of the flock, Sir Ritchfield. The result was a funny, lovable old fool who, despite his flaws, made me root for him.
“The Sheep Detectives” is not a perfect film, but was excellent. The film is a great murder mystery packaged to be family-friendly and accessible for kids, but the themes make it a worthwhile watch for all ages. The writing was expertly crafted, with little wasted time and few wasted words. Jokes did not undercut more serious scenes, letting darker moments be. Biblical virtues and examples are presented through phenomenal performances. All this made “The Sheep Detectives” a near-perfect family mystery.
“The Sheep Detectives” is currently streaming on Prime Video
Josh Ball is a senior History major. He looks forward to finding “a legitimate cause for bashing.”
Images courtesy of Amazon-MGM
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