| Director | Stan Winston |
|---|---|
| Genre | buddy cop film, comedy film |
| Runtime | 84 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $3 million |
Casey Gallagher, a young and inexperienced police detective, is running a sting operation in a park attempting to catch the criminal Zadar in an illegal jewelry sale. Casey is knocked unconscious and one of Zadar's henchmen takes the jewels and then kills Casey's partner with a briefcase full of explosives.
At the same time, Gnorm, a gnome who lives underground, emerges in the park and witnesses the explosion. In an attempt to impress a female gnome, he has taken an artifact called the "lumen" aboveground (what the gnomes call Upworld) in order to recharge it by exposing it to the sun.
Investigating the crime scene afterward, Casey finds and takes the lumen and is followed home by Gnorm. Casey captures Gnorm, but then is attacked by one of Zadar's henchmen, who steals the lumen. Casey and Gnorm team up to pursue Zadar with the help of the entire police department, including Casey's boss Captain Walton and Casey's love interest Samantha.
Casey and Gnorm become friends in their pursuit of Zadar, and Gnorm reveals a pronounced sexual interest in human women. Eventually, Casey and Gnorm return to the same park where the initial sting took place. Captain Walton arrives and reveals his intention to steal a briefcase of jewels, frame Casey, and flee to Mexico, but he is subdued by Casey and Gnorm.
As the sun rises, Casey gathers with Samantha and Gnorm to recharge the lumen. Gnorm kisses Samantha and prepares to return to the Underworld. Casey then kisses Samantha and shares a thumbs-up with Gnorm.