Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

by Justin Velasquez           

December 31, 2009

Brit director Guy Ritchie premieres his big-budget reboot of the famous London sleuth, originally made famous by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  This rendition of Sherlock Holmes is another potential franchise where old school stories and ideas meet new school filmmaking techniques and technologies.  That's not such a bad thing as long you promise to forget most of the old school stuff.

Starring as the ingenious Holmes is the recently resurrected Robert Downey Jr., fresh from his long-awaited starmaking turn in 2008's Iron Man.  Playing his beloved partner, Dr. Watson, is two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law (Cold Mountain) and the film begins with the pair foiling a potential crime and arresting a mysterious man named Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong).  Holmes and Watson thought they witnessed the demise of Blackwood when he's hanged some months later.  But uncommonly Blackwood rises from the grave to terrorize the streets of London and it's up to the pair to find out the evildoer's intentions to prevent him from taking over the city, the country and possibly the world.

When Holmes and Watson first arrested Blackwood they saved the life of a young girl and interrupted a ritual suicide.  Blackwood practices magic, known here as the dark arts, and Holmes has to juggle not just his enemy's enigmatic and seductive techniques, but he also has to deal with the return of Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams, The Notebook), his former lover and the only person known to have outwitted Sherlock.  The inclusion of a society known as the Temple of the Four Orders provides further complication since Blackwood is somehow connected to this clandestine organization.  And Holmes, in a gesture that capitalizes on RDJ's impeccable sarcasm, works to keep Watson all to himself by deliberately sabotaging Watson's courtship of Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly, Me and Orson Welles).  For anyone who currently doubts it, Holmes and Watson formed the original literary bromance.

Within the film is a story that's a little complicated but is very welcome considering the amount of pointless, mindless storylines already out there in other films.  To pay no mind is to find one confused until the viewer is treated to the plausible and "elementary" diagnosis from the surprisingly athletic Holmes.  The film's highlights include any scene where RDJ and Jude Law are together - their witty back-and-forth banter is seamless and humorous in its delivery.  McAdams, who recently held her own opposite Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck in State of Play, is unfortunately cut down a few pegs thanks to RDJ's performance, but he tends to outshine anyone else onscreen.  This performance honestly seems like an extension of his real-life persona, which is cause for more humor.  Although his sarcasm and wit can easily wear thin, RDJ is so charming that it's hard not to like him.  Strong plays bad guys very well, as proven by his roles in Body of Lies and RocknRolla.  But his role leaves a lot to be desired since the true baddie, Professor Moriarity, looms in the shadows.  Like a 19^th century Keyser Söze (The Usual Suspects), Moriarity is, throughout the film, devising a giant scheme that will certainly test Holmes' wits... in hopeful sequels.

Ritchie seemed to be a natural choice to helm the lens for this 21^st century reboot. His love for London was depicted well in the past, it's just that his specialty rested on his understanding of the criminal mind.  Holmes, who easily could be a criminal (and a successful one at that), isn't one and the taboo nature of the convict is out the door.  The focus is on Holmes and the lack of that dangerous element keeps this Holmes from being just edgy enough to be streetwise.  And that suppresses Ritchie's strengths.  But since the film's conclusion leaves it open for future sequels maybe the intriguing criminology will rear its ugly head through Moriarity. 

Overall this edition of Sherlock Holmes is entertaining, funny and mystifying - with just a tad bit of action.  It remains to be seen if this tougher and more limber Holmes will alienate fans of a more traditional super-sleuth, but those looking for a wittier, less brooding Dark Knight may have found an enjoyable British antithesis. 

Three Stars out of Four