‘The Sheep Detectives’Amazon MGM Studios

Family films these days are generally reduced to animation, rarely live action, at least those that might appeal to every member of the family, but the whimsical and wonderful The Sheep Detectives is that rarity, a movie that recalls the delight of 1995’s multi-Oscar nominated Babe mixed with the kind of murder mystery you might find in Knives Out. Add that all up, sprinkle it with a slice of Agatha Christie, a bit of Animal Farm, and the small town element of Murder She Wrote and, well , you get the picture.

A wondrously entertaining and winning concoction, this has been brought to the screen by director Kyle Balda, best known for his work at Illumination on the Minions and Despicable Me franchises, as well as screenwriter Craig Mazin, who has seen his eclectic career zig zag from comedy with The Hangover to heavier fare like The Last Of Us and his Emmy-winning work on Chernobyl. Here he becomes the unexpected choice to adapt Leonie Swann’s book, Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story, which came along, first in German, and then globally in 2005. Producer Lindsay Doran has pretty much been chasing it ever since and finally got the film version made. It is a charmer, and fortunately one in which both kids and their parents will find equally much to like. The talking sheep are a no-brainer to keep the little ones amused, and the cleverly written murder mystery is actually a step above what makes the grade in the genre these days. Plus, it could not have a better cast, both on camera with the human thesps, and voiceover for the various sheep .