Crocodile rockin' at the movies

Garden gnomes. Hulk Hogan. Elton John’s music.
I never thought I’d use that series of words in the same paragraph. Elton John has never sung Hulk Hogan songs, Hulk Hogan has never rassled Elton John and garden gnomes, well, I think they’re kind of cool and have three of them in my front yard. When I see the tips of their red hats start to emerge from the snow, I know spring is at hand. But they really don’t have anything to do with those two pop culture icons.
Until now, thanks to the movie “Gnomeo and Juliet,” currently in theaters. My affinity for gnomes and Elton John music — I’ve seen him in concert at least once in each of the last four decades — attracted me to the flick, especially because it features a fabulously updated version of Sir Elton’s “Crocodile Rock,” which he sings with Nelly Furtado.
So along with Younger Daughter, a month removed from her 17th birthday, we finally coordinated schedules and were able to see the movie Sunday evening.
Throughout the previews and for the first several minutes of the movie, we were the only ones in the Oaks theater, which we determined would provide a great opportunity to get up and dance during “Crocodile Rock” without fear of embarrassment.
Unfortunately, four other people did enter the theater moments later, which is probably a good thing because Elton himself —executive producer of the movie — would have probably jumped through the screen to tell me to sit down and quit embarrassing myself.
The movie — based, of course, on Bill Shakespeare’s work — boasts the voices of some top-shelf acting talent like James McAvoy (Gnomeo), Emily Blunt (Juliet) Maggie Smith (Lady Blueberry, Gnomeo’s mom), Michael Caine (Lord Redbrick, Juliet’s dad) and of course Hulk Hogan, who plays the voice of a lawn mower called the “Terrafirminator” in all his growly rasslin’ fervor. (Those of you who refuse to put Hogan in the same category as those other actors and actresses obviously haven’t seen “Mr. Nanny.”)
Of course, the movie is wonderfully cute and sweet and the Elton John songs are, well, Elton John songs, and they’re just as good in the context of a kids’ film as they’ve ever been in any other context.
But the main takeaway was that my teenage daughter didn’t mind going to this film with her old man. Because I’m so old I remember when rock was young. And as it turned out, me and her, we had so much fun.