The Sheep Detectives: Can’t pull the wool over their eyes

Whodunnit? The peace of a sleepy little English hamlet, Denbrook, is rocked by a murder.

A sheep farmer George Hardy is found dead and it looks like he may have been poisoned — but why, George wouldn’t hurt a fly?

The police don’t have a clue so it’s up to the sheep to find the murderer before they end up as land chops in the hands of a scheming local butcher.

The body is after all that of their kindly shepherd who they love, not just because he looks after them but because he reads to them every night.

Enter stage left The Sheep Detectives, a flock of talking sheep who work together to find out who killed their beloved George (Hugh Jackman).

Sure, it’s a little far-fetched . . . well, very far-fetched . . . but then so is Star Wars.

Just go with it because it is a lot of fun and one of those wonderful little family films that looks certain to become a classic.

The Sheep Detectives is based on the 2005 novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann with an ensemble cast that includes Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson,

The sheep are voiced by the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein.

But good luck working out who is who.

Reporter Elliot Matthews, in town to cover the local show, believes George’s death was murder, and offers to help local Bobby Tim Derry to investigate.

But Officer Derry is not the brightest spark and things get off to a slow start, until the sheep step in, pointing him in the right direction when needed.

He comes to the conclusion that George was poisoned by one of the townsfolk — duh.

It’s simple really, he explains, you just need to rely on the cornerstones of any murder investigation: means, motive, and opportunity.

And that motive soon becomes clear when it is revealed that George had secretly made a fortune selling Orf (the sheep medication he invented) to an international pharmaceutical company.

Fortunately, the sheep are well schooled in the ways of murder, thanks to George who read murder mysteries to them every night from the steps of his Airstream caravan.

They’re led by a ewe named Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the ram Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) who always retains memories, and loner Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) who George onced rescued from a carnival where he was being forced to fight dogs.

It turns out George, a widower, had two children, Peter (Nicholas Galitzine) and Rebecca (Molly Gordon), and leaves his $30 million fortune to Rebecca, in a new will that he made just before his death.

Officiating at the reading of the will is solicitor Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson) who explains the old will left everything to charity.

Peter his son is missing, presumed to be somewhere in Africa.

$30 million bucks — there’s your motive.

After evidence is discovered putting Rebecca at the scene of the crime, she is arrested.

But the sheep know better . . .

Much of the filming of The Sheep Detectives was done in the village of Ivinghoe, and nearby Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.

Wolf: Tarantino meets Midsomer Murders

It’s the same place scenes from the famous The Dirty Dozen (1967) were filmed, as well as TV series such as The Saint (1962) and The Avengers (1961).

The twin rams, voiced by Brett Goldstein, are named Ronnie and Reggie, after the infamous Kray twins who dominated organised crime in London’s East End during the 1950s and 1960s.

It’s the second time Patrick Stewart, (Sir Ritchfield), has voiced a sheep.He played Mr Woolensworth in Chicken Little (2005).

Apparently, the film’s producers copped a serve from The Times newspaper for Amercanising’ the movie, but that won’t matter much to its young fans.

While the story is set in rural England, the newspaper points out George lives in an “American Airstream trailer” while neighbouring farmers drive “left-hand drive US-style pick-up trucks”.

The Sheep Detectives is showing in cinemas now.