Sherlock Holmes

Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Written by: Micheal Robert Johnson (screenplay)
                     Anthony Peckham (screenplay)
                     Simon Kinberg (screenplay)
                     Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (characters)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes
          Jude Law as Dr. John Watson
          Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler

          Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood

I had no clear expectations before I saw this movie, the only thing I had seen prior was the poster. Let me say this before I start: 

I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE MOVIE, MAKING ONLY SLIGHT (IF AT ALL ANY) REFERENCES TO THE STORIES. 


This is after all, a movie review, not a book-to-movie review.

A Matter of Logic

Computing and calculating how to beat someone while sneaking up on him? Impromptu chase investigations incognito? I'd say that goes beyond the standard detective stuff.

It was an entertaining approach to what would have usually been very normal and common. The slow-mo with the narration worked really well both as an entertainment factor and as a support for Sherlock Holmes, defining his character further. Same goes with his investigative methods, I particularly enjoyed the sequence wherein he ran after Irene Adler. It was an interesting take on early English private investigation.

Elementary, My Dear Watson (signal British accent, clear diction)

I'm no expert on the British accent by any means, but I really don't think that what I heard resembled anything authentic, most especially with Sherlock Holmes (let's set aside Jude Law and Mark Strong, as they are British). There is more than one British accent, probably depending on where in England one is from, I don't know them all but for the most part, I really feel that Downey could've done a better job making Sherlock sound more British. With Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, I found her accent to be confused. Trivia: Irene Adler was supposed to have been born in New Jersey, only moving to London in her late twenties. Given her history, it is MAYBE excusable for her to be sounding "confused".

Enter now: Sherlock Holmes lines and dialog - I couldn't really understand a lot of what he was saying all because I found him to be eating his words and hardly even opening his mouth when he had something to say. It sounded like he was reciting things to himself, like solving puzzles aloud. As a member of the audience, I ended up hearing garbled speeches, leaving me to pick up every third word and complete his sentences on my own. There was a lack of diction and emphasis on dialog, which took me out of the movie. A good film reels me in and makes me forget about the guy chewing popcorn next to me. This this really made me look at my watch and sit back, waiting for the scenery and production to explain itself. Again, a good movie won't make me "wait", it will make me want to see what's going to happen next [I'll mention another element in tandem with this point in in a bit].

Added Thrill?

There were a number of scenes wherein the musical score was overdone. Let me zero-in on one as an example. 

The fist fight between Holmes where he is in the "arena". Fast-paced fight, howling crowd, cool calculated logic, the shrill scream of violin/bag pipe sounding. Off the bat, it could work, why not? Except when the music over-plays that it takes the attention away from the scene (note: I think it was the only active audio at the time, everything else was muted), then yes, you might have overdone it just a bit, to say the least.


End Note


The movie lacked the X factor that would've sucked me in. My last example, the villain that Holmes is supposed to pursue in the sequel was named as Moriarty. Trivia: Moriarty is main villain in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Did you feel that there was even a build up that alluded to that? It felt like Moriarty was just another villain, nothing more.


Not the best work from the heavy hitting names on the roster but an interesting take on Sherlock Holmes altogether. 




Overall: 6 out of 10
   - Only worth your money if there is nothing else to see at the theater
   - You and your friends will probably have two conversations about this movie before you find something more interesting. I doubt anyone will talk about it further, no 'Holmes Hangovers' in the predictable future.