THE SHEEP DETECTIVES is a solid case worth cracking, but by the third act, you’ll be counting them to stay awake. It’s a shame since you have an all-star cast doing their best, some truly great talking sheep backed by even more all-stars providing their voices, and a who-dunnit murder-mystery that feels like it’s straight out of KNIVES OUT.
So, why am I against a film that has scored so well on Rotten Tomatoes across audiences and critics? To be honest, I’m not. This is wholesome entertainment for the entire family, with valuable life lessons about grief and death. And it’s a strong, good-not-great entry because of its long running time. As I was watching the film, I realized it doesn’t truly start until around the 52-minute mark. Everything before that is set up. While that setup probably worked well in book form, it fails to keep audiences captivated throughout, and I could imagine younger viewers getting bored since the comedy is minimal.
Final Thought: It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that when it comes to sheep films, nothing will ever top SHAUN THE SHEEP or BABE: PIG IN THE CITY.
It’s available now in theaters.
