For the very first entry in the new section, reviewing sheep was definitely not on my bingo card, but here we are. This was one of those films I actually considered watching in cinemas at one point simply because there wasn’t anything else particularly interesting on, but I never got around to it. Thankfully, streaming platforms have become fast enough these days not to miss the hype train that keeps a film’s momentum alive after its theatrical release, so I finally managed to watch it. The best thing about this movie is that I went in expecting absolutely nothing (I didn’t even realise Hugh Jackman was in it until I watched it), and maybe that’s exactly why it felt like a refreshing summer breeze in the otherwise deserted wasteland that cinema has become lately. “The Sheep Detectives”, contrary to my expectation that the title was some kind of metaphor and the animals would mostly stay in the background, takes its name completely literally, so prepare yourselves for a family-friendly mystery where every dialect of the language of “Baaa” has been conveniently translated into English.
We are sheep, baaa. We investigate, baaa.
And since I mentioned Wolverine (a fitting choice when we’re talking about sheep), you actually won’t be seeing all that much of Jackman – which might normally be considered a downside, but here it works surprisingly well. While the main cast isn’t exactly packed with household names, the voice cast behind our woolly friends features some much more recognisable and established faces. Their adventure is:
- Engaging and nicely woven together, even if the mystery itself isn’t impossibly difficult to solve.
- Genuinely funny – I caught myself laughing out loud more than once, and that’s become something of a rarity lately.
- Suitable for all ages – the metaphors about clouds, venturing down unfamiliar roads, and the way Lily learns to understand and navigate the world make it an easy recommendation even for the youngest viewers.
- Visually impressive – without drifting into a fully animated style or looking overly fantastical, the sheep are wonderfully varied, colourful, and, most importantly, surprisingly realistic.
Long story short, Craig Mazin once again proves his talent by making a mountain out of … sheep meadow? I haven’t read the book (although if I ever manage to track it down, why not, the animals shouldn’t be the only ones listening to stories), but I’d definitely recommend this as one of your next family movie nights. It’s a delightfully warm-hearted tale that stands in refreshing contrast to the heavy post-apocalyptic stories Mazin is usually associated with. I’m genuinely pleased that, despite its fairly modest marketing campaign, Kyle Balda’s film has managed to come out ahead and will likely find even more fans through streaming. Here’s hoping we’ll continue to get more light-hearted, adventurous films like this in the years to come.