Director: Madonna’s Ex (aka Guy Ritchie)

Cast: Robert Downie Jr
Jude Law
Rachel McAdams (Quite Hot)
Mark Strong

Plot: Ummm…it’s Sherlock Holmes, work it out.

Review: Okay, before we begin I thought I should provide some background information on my thoughts going into this movie. Firstly, when I first saw the trailer I groaned, thought “what are they doing” and was thoroughly unimpressed. Secondly, I was an avid reader of Sherlock Holmes 20 years ago, but have read nothing since early high school (and so struggle to remember much detail from the books). Thirdly, I only went to this movie as it was Boxing Day, it was quiet, I was stuffed from christmas day still, and there was nothing else to do (except go see Avatar, which I really don’t want to do). So knowing all this, what did I think of this movie? Well let’s see…

Actually, let’s first address how popular the movie was, I was forced to queue! For a movie! In this day and age…what is the world coming to? There was a couple hundred people in front of me too, and the theatre was packed when we got in, which always makes movies a bit better I feel. Anyway, about this review…

Well the hotdog was fantastic! Best I’ve found yet in the USA, well done AMC Cinemas *double thumbs-up*. Popcorn was fine and the Sprite was refreshing. Also the girl next to me had an interesting pair of stockings on, and her boyfriends hand half way up her skirt, well done them. So what did I think of Sherlock Holmes…

Well as I’m sure we are all aware of by now, this is a ‘re-imagining’ of Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century (re-imagining sure is popular just now, what with Star Trek, Batman, Dances With Wolves new cartoon), and this re-imagining is established right from the get go, with a fast paced and violent encounter to get the film and the story going. Holmes is not walking about deerstalker on head, pipe in mouth and magnifying glass 5 feet away from some clear footprints in the mud (which never made sense to me anyway, why’d they always portray him like that?). Holmes instead is brutal, dashing, a bohemian depressive narcissist, and the opening 5mins makes sure there is no mistaking this change from the usual Holmes interpretation. Dr Watson too is not what the 20th Century TV & Movies would have us believe, there is no bumbling fool of a sidekick here, no foot in bucket jokes, no stumblng on a vital clue through accident rather than thought. Instead we have a handsome, debonair, physical war hero who more than matches Holmes in both violence and thought.

And it only took that opening 10minutes or so to take me from my low expectations to quite frankly very high hopes. And as the movie proceeded through the 1st hour or so, those hopes were met. This movie is at heart a buddy movie, it’s not just a buddy movie by any means, but that is and always will be its core. And so the relationship and portrayal of Holmes and Watson was always going to be key, so I’m pleased to say it was a great success. Downey Jr and Jude Law sparkle when on screen together, their chemistry is fully evident and the pair of them are clearly having a great deal of fun. And it is this chemistry which sweeps us through the 1st hour.

For the record the portrayal of 19th Century London is very impressive, it is suitably dirty, sprawling and industrial. I will not wax lyrical on the special effects, as in this day and age, with this kind of budget I would expect nothing less than the best.

So, the backgrounds are good, the central relationship between Holmes and Watson is fantastic, and the story is rumbling along nicely. A surefire winner then? Well…not quite. For it is during the 2nd hour that the movies begins to expose its flaws.

Firstly, this movie is built around Holmes and Watson, which leads to the unfortunate situation that whenever one of the pair is not on screen, the movies just dies a little. I can say hand on heart I did not care about a single other character in this movie, and that can’t be good. Secondly even the two central characters fail to drag the movie through a turgid middle part of the story, it really does become awfully slow and once again I can’t help but think a movie is sprawling over 2hours for no other reason than that is what everyone else is doing just now.

That said though, as our two heroes physically pound their way through the movie, argue, provide ample comic relief and an insight into their flawed natures which make them so dependant on each other, the end isn’t too long in arriving. And as the end comes so the pace is lifted up once more and the movie begins to roll along nicely again. The ending is all a bit obvious, but that doesn’t detract and it provides Holmes with the characteristic opportunity to leads us all through the various deductions. Some you’ll have got, some you won’t.

So all in all it was an enjoyable 2hours and 15mins or so, far above my expectations and not only does it leave me wanting more, but it also makes me want to dig out Conan Doyles original works and refresh my memory on a series I haven’t read in 20 years.

And will I get more? Well, without giving away any plot at all, this is clearly an attempt to re-energise an old franchise, not to tell a one off story. So as long as the box office rolls in, I am in no doubt Holmes and Watson will return. The game is afoot as they say.

No score as I don’t believe in them.