Reviewed by James Quicksell

Horror in 3DMM is generally a genre that is kinda like that creepy looking uncle at your family reunion that smells of cheap booze: it's not approached all that often and when it is the results range from not so good to downright frightening (and not in the good scary sense either). Gnomes is the first movie I've ever seen to break the mold and tear off that mask of crappiness that most horror movies made in this juvenile animation program don. To be frank, it's actually quite creepy. Never has a movie made in this program been able to create the freaky atmosphere that encompasses all (or most of at least) 20 minutes of this film.

There are several factors that make this movie what it is and why it is this way. First off is the direction. To say the least the direction in this movie is nothing less then outstanding. Mike Storch shines brighter than any director throughout the majority of this film. There are a few places where the directing stoops from amazing to just decent but it quickly ascends back up. The angles, the colors, the scenery, everything about this movies construction is nothing less than awe-inspiring in the sense that a creepy atmosphere is actually established and the viewer actually gets sucked into the world created by Mr. Thomas and Mr. Storch. It wasn't till near the end of the movie when I realized "Wow I actually feel apart of what is being created". Rarely does a movie do that to me.

Now on from the directing to what I keep talking about : the atmosphere. Overall Storch masters this feat beautifully by creating a world that actually looks like someplace you don't wanna be. The woods especially with the "peering into the darkness" and such had a lot of feeling in it that I just can't describe. The dark colors also add to the overall look, giving the viewer an inclination that "hey maybe the character shouldn't be here..." and it works great. One shot in particular is of two of the main characters going off and searching a barn in the middle of a field. When the doors opened I actually got ready for something to jump out and scare me. I actually got prepared. It's always great to see a movie keep its viewers on their toes and Storch does a fantastic job keeping the suspense in check.

Now on the flipside of Storchs directing we also have the other half of the duo that brought this movie to life and that would be Ramza Brave. The writing that Ramza does is how would you say...kinda average. Though dialogue pops up in scarcity the use isn't all that terrible. At least it seems like Ramza was trying to create a chemistry between the two main teenagers which is actually a good thing. I think someone pointed out as well about the female teenagers mother actually abusing her but instead of the usual "omg im sorry lets make up" she actually gets what's coming to her which I felt is kinda good in the sense that the message of "not everything comes out good in the end" is portrayed well. Overall the story actually has the feel of a decent flowing movie that along with the direction turns it into a nice piece of work.

Ramza was also in charge of the musical aspect of the movie. Much of this music sounds fantastic and also adds to the creepy atmosphere. I commend him on this feat, as it is not easy task (or so it seems) to do such a thing, especially in a movie where you are relying on the atmosphere to push the movie forward in the 'scary' direction. No complaints here.

Overall Gnomes is a movie that shows that horror CAN be done in 3DMM. All you need is the right tools to do so. It shows that Mike Storch's brilliant direction skills and Ramza's writing, though somewhat at par can lead to something of this magnitude. To be honest I didn't know what to think of this movie when I first saw the previews but my god this was definitely worth the download. This also receives an OMG BONER1 award (to be posted shortly). Hats off guys, you did an incredible job.

9.4/10