Review: Sherlock Holmes

The famous investigator, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr), and his trusty medic sidekick, Watson (Jude Law), have just completed an investigation involving Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) and his odd human sacrifice rituals. Blackwood some how survives his execution, but Holmes is already on the case since it crosses over with a missing person investigation, an investigation that a former flame, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), has hired him for. The myestery continues as Adler's hidden benefactor needs something from Lord Blackwood and even more so from Holmes

Many people believe that Sherlock Holmes, like Batman Begins and Casino Royale before it, is a dark modern reinterpretation of a character with a long cultural history. That is not totally true. In fact, what it really has in common with Batman Begins and Casino Royale, is that Sherlock Holmes returns to the source material and adapts the franchise in a much more suitable way relieving Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric character from his deerstalker hat and snooty British persona. Now, Holmes is an insufferable colleague and amateur bare-knuckle boxer. And it is thanks to Robert Downey Jr that Holmes is so likeable.

Downey Jr. does what Hugh Laurie (who plays House, another Holmes-inspired character) cannot. Downey Jr. is able to convey a small sense of likeability. This is helped by Jude Law, who's Watson is a fantastic sidekick. As opposed to Wilson, House's sidekick, Watson does not so much enable Holmes, but try to direct his insolence towards something productive. Their "bromance" drives the characters' development allowing for the best and worst in each of them to shine through, practically justifying Holmes jackassery. McAdams adds a sufficient enough love interest invoking Holmes own characterisitcs, but at a far less degree. Their relationship pushes the film forward in some ways, but their chemistry is lacking. Mark Strong pulls off a fantastic, enigmatic villain, devious enough to match wits with Holmes.

Director Guy Ritchie plays up the violence and wit a little more than people would expect, but the Holmes investigative reasoning and long-winded dialog that have come to define the character is never forgotten. Even the fight scenes involve Holmes quick thinking, planning every move and result of that blow before pulling off each in perfect sequence. This allows for a really well balanced pace set against a late 1900s England backdrop. This particular aesthetic works incredibly well with the action genre, and I hope they make good use of the time period in the future. Further accentuating the excitement and time period, is a truly amazing and original score sounding much like Irish drinking songs. It is one of the more memorable scores in some time.

Sherlock Holmes is a return to roots reimagining, if that makes sense, that is able to put all the greatest elements of the blockbuster; an intelligent adventure story with wit and thrills.

8/10