The key to a movie like The Sheep Detectives is to keep kids giggling at the animal shenanigans while slipping in heavier themes that expose them to concepts like loss, grief, and finding your purpose — or, if you’re Paddington Bear traipsing around Peru, immigration. It also helps if there’s enough slightly randy humor to keep adults from falling asleep. The Sheep Detectives has all these attributes, but even if this cozy, comedic tale about a flock of sheep trying to solve the murder of its shepherd lacks the delightful spirit and magic pixie dust of the Paddington films and 1995’s Babe, it’s still a slyly smart little charmer.
