3 Reasons Families Will Love ‘The Sheep Detectives’
Movies
Audio By Carbonatix
By Michael Foust, Movies
It’s Overflowing with British Humor and Charm
The Sheep Detectives includes the British charm we’ve come to love: the storybook villages, the rolling countryside, and, of course, the accents. In many ways, it echoes much of the Paddington franchise, blending real-life settings with CGI animals – sheep instead of a bear – while mixing compassionate souls with quirky, ornery townsfolk.
It includes brilliant deadpan comedy that will win over adults and children alike. At one point, a frustrated big-city attorney asks the clueless local policeman, “Is this your first murder?” – referring to the investigation – only for him to misread the question entirely and reply plaintively, “You think I killed him?” (The policeman, if you’re curious, does wise up toward the end.)
Elsewhere, Lily and her fellow sheep – who have never ventured beyond the farm – must work up the courage simply to cross a sleepy country road, treating it like a daredevil leap into a swimming pool. After finally making it across, they proudly celebrate, only to be told they still have two more miles to go. Lily pauses and asks, “And how many miles was that?”
Even the town’s heavily promoted “Deerbrook Cultural Festival” turns out to be little more than three folding tables set up behind a crafty woman’s shop. She demands a traveler pay an “admission fee,” all while another townsperson proudly praises the widely mocked film Return to Oz (1985).
“That’s the best film ever made,” he says. “And they shot it just 14 miles down the road.”
Photo Credit: ©Amazon/MGM
It’s Packed with Soul-Stirring Lessons
The Sheep Detectives is definitely not a silly children’s film designed for mindless laughs – although children looking for goofy fun and talking animals will get that, too.
At its core, it’s a story that wrestles with life’s biggest questions: What happens when we die? Why do we grieve? Is it healthier to remember pain or bury it? And even: What purpose does a funeral serve?
The film cleverly plays off the perceived stupidity of real-life sheep by giving its theatrical flock a semi-magical ability: the power to forget. For them, painful memories can seemingly vanish as easily as counting down from three to one – and voilà – the hurt disappears forever. In the aftermath of George’s death, that’s exactly what most of the sheep want.
“Sheep are not meant to feel such things. We must choose to forget.”
But Mopple, who does not have the ability to forget, pushes back on this idea.
“You'll remember him because it's right, because it's just,” Mopple says, pleading with them.
A friend, he says, “should never be forgotten.���
Celebrating a deceased one’s life is a biblical concept. The Old Testament and New Testament saints grieved and celebrated the lives of those they lost. To do so is not only to honor a friend, but also to acknowledge the unique value of humanity – the pinnacle of God’s creation, made in His image and worthy of remembrance. We are not worms or bugs, here one moment and forgotten the next. Human life carries eternal significance.
The film also touches on the afterlife, though in a childlike and whimsical way. The sheep believe they literally become clouds when they die, only to slowly realize by the film’s end that perhaps something deeper is taking place. At one point, we even watch a sheep die and – seemingly – catch a glimpse of George on the other side. (We hear the sheep softly say George’s name, hinting at a reunion beyond death.)
The Sheep Detectives also includes a humorous conversation about God as the sheep wander past a church – the kind of exchange that sounds as though it were delivered by a room full of curious kindergarteners.
“This is the church where someone named God lives,” Mopple says.
“Who's God?” another sheep asks.
“It's a bit confusing – God is a shepherd,” Mopple answers
“So he could be our shepherd?” a sheep asks.
“No, because he’s also a lamb,” Mopple says. “And he's also invisible, and he's made of bread.”
Photo Credit: ©Amazon/MGM
It’s (Mostly) Clean as a Whistle
The Sheep Detectives is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for thematic material, some violent content, and brief language. The only language I noticed was a single use of “d–n” – and even that surfaced during the sheep’s comically confused discussion about God, referencing judgment. For most Christian families, there will be little here to raise concern.
The film may not be quite as squeaky clean as the Paddington movies, but it comes close. The murder mystery itself – along with a handful of brief depictions tied to it – could be unsettling for very young viewers but remains firmly in non-graphic PG territory. Early in the film, George’s body is discovered on the ground, though the camera shows only his lifeless hands and arms. Later, we briefly see a partial recreation of his struggle with the killer, but most of it remains off-screen. The film also includes a couple of scenes involving rams fighting dogs.
Families who have recently walked through a painful loss may want to skip The Sheep Detectives.
Overall, though, this new movie is everything a children’s film should be: charming, hilarious, entertaining, thoughtful, and wholesome.
Rated PG for thematic material, some violent content, and brief language.
Entertainment rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Photo Credit: ©Amazon/MGM
