The movie Gnomeo And Juliet was a fun Shakespeare parody released in 2011. The traditional Shakespeare tale was updated and told using 2 rivals gardens of gnomes, with barely appearing owners like a cross between the enigmatic farmer in Shaun The Sheep and the humans that toys in Toy Story have to play dead around.
While it was a fun movie for kids, the writing and comedy were in pretty poor taste, and things such as continuity were left by the wayside. Here are 10 of the best examples:
The Magic Rose
Juliet, played by Emily Blunt - is holding a rose while being mocked by plastic frog Nanette - played by Ashley Jenson - is mocking the poor gnome for not having a boyfriend.
During the conversation, she drops this rose, which lands next to a yellow flower. When Nanette goes to pick up the yellow flower, the rose has mysteriously vanished. It's unclear what the metaphor's supposed to be...
The Magic Spacebar
Benny - played by Matt Lucas - isn't the most tech-savvy gnome, and seems to have the spacebar confused with the 'enter' key. Fortunately for Benny, the movie itself seems to suffer from the same ailment, as Benny successfully uses the spacebar as an 'enter' key on 2 occasions.
Once when updating a lawnmower order and once when ordering a female flamingo, naturally. It's probably a more user-friendly key for a gnome but it was presumably set up for a human.
Trybalt's Magical Anatomy
Trybalt - played by Jason Statham - was always biding his screentime until he inevitably reached his tragic death scene, whence he is cast against a wall and smashes into bits.
When this occurs his anatomy appears to be that of the common gnome, a hollow porcelain shell, but in the scene at the end where a mended Trybalt loses an arm and a leg while dancing, he seems to be solid on the inside. This is of course done to honor Shakespeare's original vision of the character?
The Magic Sock
After trying on one ill-fitting sock off the washing line on as a onesie, Juliet demands a black one to be more subtle. Nanette proceeds to fetch an intact black sock from the line. When Juliet puts it on, the heel has conveniently vanished, giving her a handy face-hole.
She is also able to tear armholes for herself from the inside of the sock, which is a much snugger fit than the last one despite being from a washing line with one person's clothes on it. Exactly what the gnomes are physically capable of changes on a need-to-happen basis.
The Magic Fishing Pole
In the scene where Juliet first sets off on her mission, she isn't prepared for the dog, and when it barks she starts and drops the fishing rod she's been carrying.
The fishing rod then disappears, then moments later Nanette appears holding the fishing rod, despite being nowhere near where it fell. And this wasn't the only continuity error concerning the fishing rod.
The Magic Fishing Pole Strikes Back
When Juliet precariously walks along the garden wall at the start of her mission, the fishing rod isn't on her back. But moments later it is suddenly back somehow.
This is only the 2nd of 3 disappearing acts this mysterious fishing rod pulls on Juliet during the film. You have to forgive a certain disregard for the laws of physics in animation but at times it feels like this movie isn't even trying.
Return Of The Magic Fishing Pole
When Juliet finds herself hanging from a window frame in the greenhouse, the fishing rod disappears off her back once again as she falls from the pipe, and remains absent as she gets up and starts walking.
The fishing rod only returns when Juliet confronts Gnomeo - played by James McAvoy. There are so many continuity errors with the fishing rod it almost seems deliberate, like its Dr. Strange's cape.
The Magic Cork
It also seems like whatever the fishing rod had was contagious. When Juliet first retrieves the fishing rod from the traditional fishing gnome there is a safety cork above the hook. This cork isn't shown to be removed but it isn't seen for most of the rest of the movie, even when the fishing rod is drawn attention to.
It could be Juliet just removed it, but it's not the audience's job to provide explanations for what they are seeing on screen. It appears to just be the work of lazy/overburdened animators.
The Magic Wall
Before Trybalt uses a speeding lawnmower to launch himself into the next garden, Gnomeo warns him of the large garden wall that may cause a slight snag in his plan.
Fortunately for Trybalt, he executes the move perfectly thanks to cartoon physics, launching himself with a trajectory that would easily clear the wall. Unfortunately for Trybalt, the next shot then sides with Gnomeo and slams Trybalt into the wall anyway.
The Magic Pipes
When Benny sneaks into the house to use the computer, he starts by going through pipes that we've already seen are far too tight for a gnome to fit through.
His journey through the pipes then somehow leads inside the washing machine, another impossible feat that is either a miracle or the work of some very creative and unreliable plumbers.