Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material
Running Time: 2 hours 14 minutes

It’s the return of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous investigator, Sherlock Holmes! In this adaptation of Lionel Wigram’s comic book series, writer/director Guy Ritchie casts Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock and Jude Law as his sidekick Dr. Watson. This time around we not only see the super-sleuth detective solve a crime, but we also see his fighting skills come to life too.

After a string of brutal, ritualistic murders, Holmes and Watson arrive on the scene just in time to save the latest victim and uncover the killer – the unrepentant Lord Blackwood. As he approaches his scheduled hanging, Blackwood, who has terrorized inmates and jailers alike with his seeming connection to dark and powerful forces, warns Holmes that death has no power over him and, in fact, his execution plays right into Blackwood’s plans.

How will Sherlock Holmes bring down his new nemesis?

Sherlock Holmes Like You’ve Never Seen Him Before

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who first appeared in publication in 1887. He’s the creation of Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A London-based “consulting detective”, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess and renowned for his skillful use of observation, deductive reasoning and forensic skills to solve difficult cases.

In this new portrayal of Doyle’s most famous character, Robert Downey Jr. plays the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. This is not the kindly gentleman Holmes many are used to seeing. No, instead this is an edgy Sherlock Holmes where we discover his fighting skills are as powerful as his famous intellect. Holmes uses his own unique methods to get to the heart of a case, traveling where no one else would think to go to find what others cannot see.

Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect choice for this Holmes character. Downey Jr. is a quirky actor who portrays the odd, but brilliant Sherlock Holmes to perfection in this new look at Holmes. The grittiness of the character really comes out with Downey Jr. There’s also a great chemistry between Downey Jr. and Jude Law who plays his trusted companion Dr. Watson. Then when you toss in Rachel McAdams as a love-interest-villain, the trio make for a great cast in bringing this new Sherlock Holmes to life on the big screen.

A Little More Dark Than I Thought It Would Be

While I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes, it was a little more dark than I anticipated. Of course I knew the storyline would have the great detective solving an interesting case. However, I didn’t expect it to be as dark. The plot revolves around Lord Blackwood’s deadly plan. But, his plot also plunges Holmes and Watson deep into a world of the dark arts and startling new technologies. When all is said and done we discover once again that logic is sometimes the best crime-fighting weapon. But, along the way, the black magic angle of the movie is rather deep and dark.

The action in Sherlock Holmes is refreshing.

In a world of computer generated fights and backgrounds, it’s nice to see real actors actually taking part in the scenes instead of doing everything via green screen. The realness of the filming adds to the overall gritty feel of the movie too. Then, on top of the action, the gritty and somewhat antique filming feel for the movie adds to the overall experience. When viewing Sherlock Holmes, it feels like you’ve stepped back in time and you’re working to solve the case right alongside Holmes and Watson.

As for length, it clocks in at slightly more than 2 hours. While the 2 hours fly by rather quickly, there are a few slow spots sprinkled throughout the flick. While the slow spots help to give breathing space, at times they tend to stop the flow of the flick too. When it comes to rating, we have another example of the need for another film rating. With a PG-13 rating I have to say Sherlock Holmes is not family-friendly. There’s simply too much going on here in relationship with the occult to make this even a cautionary family-friendly movie.

If we had a Mature Rating for the 17 and above crowd, that would be perfect for this movie.

But even after saying that, our 17 year old said while he enjoyed the movie, he thought it was a little over the top in some areas.

Overall, Sherlock Holmes is a great movie filled with clues and action. It also gives you time to help solve the mystery right along with Holmes himself. While it wasn’t quite as strong as I thought it would be, it’s still worth seeing on the big screen.

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus