New on DVD: An inspirational song and creepy, unappealing gnomes

This week’s new DVD releases include one that will lift you up and another that will let you down.

• “I Can Only Imagine”: The opening lyrics of the MercyMe song “I Can Only Imagine” are “I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side.” Those simple words begin what has become the most-played Christian radio single ever.

A song with such power must come from a special place, and that is what the new DVD release “I Can Only Imagine” examines. Directors Andrew and Jon Erwin, working from a script by Alex Cramer, offer a glimpse into the pain and suffering MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley) experienced as elements of his life finally came together to put him in an emotional, spiritual and physical place to pen such a powerful song.

“I Can Only Imagine” is a story about the art of faith and having faith in the arts. The combination makes the production worthy to be included in the world of the better faith-based movies. At the same time, it is full of universal points about family, finding your way in life, dealing with talent issues and being ready when inspiration arrives that will be familiar to a broad audience.

• “Sherlock Gnomes”: The mystery of “Sherlock Gnomes” is elementary, my dear reader: The film is as flat as British cooking.

Director John Stevenson (“Kung Fu Panda”) has taken the few best parts of the animated film “Gnomeo & Juliet” and the intellectual stylings of the Sherlock Holmes tales and removed them from the equation in making the clueless tale of suspense. It is neither flashy nor fun enough for youngsters, nor mentally challenging enough for adults.

One of the big problems is the sequel is a follow-up to a production that didn’t have a lot going for it in the first place. The 2011 release, “Gnomeo & Juliet,” was the story of two gnomes from opposite sides of the fence who fall in love. It took 11 years to make the animated take on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” using garden gnomes, but the result felt more like it was made in days. The script lacked originality, the Elton John soundtrack felt forced and the characters were more creepy than cuddly.

Even if the script had been smarter and the gags less stale, the gnomes remained unappealing as they do in this new offering.