Sherlock Holmes

The updated, revisionist take on Sherlock Holmes is sure to be greeted by a severely mixed reaction. Those who hold the classic stories close to their hearts might find it hard to view the famous London super sleuth as some sort of strung-out superhero. That's certainly the way director Guy Ritchie (RocknRolla) depicts him. Oh, he's just as analytical and deductive as he's always been. But some viewers might be in for a shock when Holmes and Dr. Watson burst open the door of the villain's lair, and begin duking it out with an army of thugs early on.

I greatly enjoyed this movie, though, and I suspect a lot of audiences members will feel the same way. It's a lot of fun, it's beautiful to look at thanks to some clever set design and beautiful cinematography by Philippe Rousselot (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and it keeps up a good pace to hold our interest. There are flaws to be found, certainly. The storytelling can sometimes be murky, and the ending doesn't really resolve anything, opting instead to serve entirely as a set up for a sequel that may not come, but I hope does. There's too much here for just one movie to hold. Robert Downey, Jr. takes on the role of Holmes, and he certainly continues the winning streak he started last year. He's a riot to watch, and fills out the character better than I would have imagined. Jude Law shows up as Watson, and he too seems to be having more fun than he's had in a film in a while. They make a great pair, and the main reason I hope the film does become a franchise is because I would love to see their screen relationship strengthen over a series of films.

The film beings by throwing us in the middle of the action, with our heroes in hot pursuit of a notorious serial killer with ties to the occult and black magic named Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). The villain is captured and sentenced to death, but does not seem the least bit worried. He even warns Holmes during a prison visit that he will continue his killing spree from beyond the grave. Sure enough, mere days after Blackwood is hanged for his crimes, reports start coming in of sightings of Blackwood all across London. More crimes and more murder victims begin to appear, and as Holmes and Watson race to discover the truth, they are brought face-to-face with a ghost from Holmes' past. A woman named Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) seems to play some part in the latest mystery. She was once a possible love interest for the famous detective years ago, until she revealed herself to be a criminal and ran off. Now she's back for reasons that are not initially clear, though she seems to be working for a mysterious and shadowy man who will be very familiar to fans of the original stories. Love continues to complicate matters in the form of Watson's girlfriend, Mary (Kelly Reilly), whom the doctor plans to marry, and possibly leave Holmes for good for a normal domestic life.

The ad campaign for Sherlock Holmes emphasizes the special effects and over the top action sequences, and though there is certainly an abundance of both, they do not overpower the story, or the mystery at the center of it all. The movie is frantic, yes, but not to the levels of annoyance usually associated with directors like Michael Bay. I liked the tone of the film, how it mixes traditional Holmes elements of deduction and analyzing, while at the same time updating things just enough to be entertaining for mass audiences. It never feels too dumbed down, and it never feels like it's doing a great disservice to the original stories - which is what a reinvention of a franchise should be. For all of its updating and revisionist takes on the classic characters, there are still some hidden tributes and references for fans to pick up on. Clearly the filmmakers did some research, instead of just throwing together a blockbuster, and slapping a famous literary character name on it.

The care of the filmmakers shows in just about every aspect here. The movie's look is appropriately dark for the time period, but not gloomy. There's a certain wonder and beauty to the design, which seems to be inspired half by historical London and half by imagination. The casting is pretty much pitch perfect all the way around, except for Rachel McAdams, who never really grabs our attention the way her character is supposed to, unfortunately. Most important, however, are the action sequences, which are done well enough so that they don't seem out of place in a Holmes film. I liked the way that Holmes would sometimes go over the fight in his mind, analyzing and planning each step and swing he would take, and just how much damage it would inflect upon his opponent, until he found the best solution for victory in battle. It's too bad that the film drops this approach fairly early on in the film.

If the film seems confident in itself by setting itself up for an inevitable sequel, it has every right to be. This is a well made and highly entertaining piece of escapism. Sherlock Holmes is light on sense, but it's energetic, much more so than some recent blockbusters. I can only hope that any future installments leave me in similar spirits, wanting more.

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