You know, I've been anticipating this movie for about a year. I've run programs about it at work, put Victorian mysteries on display at the library, and revisited Arthur Conan Doyle's original works about the great detective (can you tell I'm a fan? Well I am, very much).
I had one massive worry about it, however. The Holmes franchise has been a fairly inactive one of late, which saddens me greatly. It's a huge mine of novels and short stories (both Doyle's and other authors), movies, even television shows. The original canon holds up so well over a hundred years later, and I am all for new audiences discovering one of the most prominent, enduring and intriguing fictional characters ever created. As the new movie approached, with Guy Ritchie at the helm who, if we're being honest, has been very hit and miss as a director, my only hope for everyone involved in making the film was; Do not screw this up!
I had one massive worry about it, however. The Holmes franchise has been a fairly inactive one of late, which saddens me greatly. It's a huge mine of novels and short stories (both Doyle's and other authors), movies, even television shows. The original canon holds up so well over a hundred years later, and I am all for new audiences discovering one of the most prominent, enduring and intriguing fictional characters ever created. As the new movie approached, with Guy Ritchie at the helm who, if we're being honest, has been very hit and miss as a director, my only hope for everyone involved in making the film was; Do not screw this up!
Turns out, they didn't. Don't believe me? Check the box office receipts.
While Sherlock Holmes will never win an Oscar (though it's star is nominated for a Golden Globe), it's a fun, action packed romp through smoggy Victorian London, and Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law do excellent justice to Holmes and Watson. Their banter with each other was one of the most enjoyable parts of the movie. The plot was loyal to much of the original canon, but was willing to also take a few liberties to create it's own story. Irene Adler was involved too, and I'm always happy to see her, as she only had one appearance in Doyle's works.
I feel that this movie corrects a lot of misconceptions about the detective and doctor. Watson in particular has gotten a bad wrap as a bumbling sidekick. The Dr. Watson that Doyle first conceived was a smart, brave, capable army vet who was always reliable in a pinch, and so Jude Law portrays him here. And for those naysayers who declare that Ritchie unnecessarily bumped up the action and turned Holmes from a strict intellectual into a fighter need only read the original stories to find Holmes the boxer, sword fighter and martial artist. Check and mate. Downey Jr. deserves that Golden Globe nod for keeping Holmes' quirks and demons, while maintaining the detective's charm and humor.
My Verdict: A nice, light relaunch, and hopefully those rumors of a sequel will come to pass.
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