The Sheep Detectives

There’s no shame in falling for the woolly scene-stealers in The Sheep Detectives, whose appeal extends beyond their cute and cuddly barnyard appearance.

This charming if corny British comedy playfully tweaks classic murder-mystery tropes with a mix of silly quirks and heartwarming loyalty between species. It’s a jolly delight for curious youngsters and accompanying adults.

The story follows George (Hugh Jackman), a shepherd tending to his flock and living in a trailer just outside a small village. He shares a mutually affectionate bond with his dozens of ovine sidekicks, although he’s a loner when it comes to his fellow humans.

They’re as wise and resourceful as they are bumbling and mischievous. And unbeknownst to George, they talk, as revealed during gossipy dissections of whatever whodunit he reads them before sunset.

So when the otherwise healthy George fatally collapses, the local misfit police officer (Nicholas Braun) and George’s lawyer (Emma Thompson) assume a heart attack but the four-legged investigators suspect foul play.

“Our shepherd has been murdered and we shall solve the crime,” explains the clever Lilly (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). But the rambunctious sheep can’t crack the case unless they learn to coexist with the ragtag villagers, some of which have ulterior motives.

There’s a visiting journalist (Nicholas Galitzine), the young shepherd next door (Tosin Cole), an aloof innkeeper (Hong Chau), and George’s own daughter (Molly Gordon), among others.

As Lilly and an authoritative ram (Bryan Cranston) lead a voyage outside the meadow to piece together clues and discover the truth, it comes with perilous consequences when dark secrets are revealed.

Marking the live-action feature debut of director Kyle Balda (Minions), the film becomes unnecessarily convoluted as it goes along, and could benefit from a bit of shearing.

Merchandising opportunities aside, children should appreciate the lessons of courage, teamwork, and acceptance in the screenplay by Craig Mazin (“The Last of Us”), adapted from a 2005 German novel by author Leonie Swann.

The result combines the innocence of Babe with the more jocular humor of the Wallace and Gromit adventures — indulging the sheep group-think stereotype in amusing ways — while conveying just enough twisty suspense to keep its central narrative spinning.

A leisurely paced spin on Clue-style plot mechanics, The Sheep Detectives infuses its cheeky British sensibility with broad-based universal appeal.

Rated PG, 109 minutes.