Die Holmes-With a Vengeance

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2009)

Anyone who is anyone knows that Sherlock Holmes is the world's greatest detectiveHands downSorry Batman. And also like Batman, James Bond, Superman and so so many others, the remake was bound to happen..yet unlike many of the others that have come outThis one is actually good.
Robert Downey Jr. (Who is just awesome to begin with) gives a more realistic and updated portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, almost like a old time London Grissom from CSI. Holmes is someone you can relate to and who is likable from the start, but who is still way smarter than you will ever be. Oh yea, he can also kick butt, full UFC style kick butt. Add in Jude Law as John Watson and strangely you get a duo that really works, which is weird because Law always seems so distant in his other roles, this one fits him perfectly. Instead of Holmes being the super smart one and Watson by his side agreeing with him constantly, this team is an actual team. Both have parts to play in the scheme of the mysteries they solve and they seem to be on an equal friendship with one and other. Most of the dialogue between them seems like ad-libs more than script, and comes off so realistically that you could almost believe it to be true. The end credits will roll and you will want more, it pulls you in and makes you honestly care what happens to them.
Yet unlike Bond or Batman, this Remake doesn't give you the old stuff from before made new (No 'Elementary Dear Watson' or 'The Game is A foot' or the old hat for that matter) but what we do get is a truer take on the character than we've ever seen before. I think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be very happy with this version of this detective, very happy indeed.
Yet, having said that, there were a few things that made me wonder, like.
#1-Holmes keeps using his drugs and experiments and what not on the dog, yet no one thinks to take the dog away from him? When is enough enough people?
#2-Watson gets all the shards of wood and what not in him after the explosion on the dock, and you're telling me he doesn't stay in the hospital longer? Old time medicine sure works a lot faster than ours does.
#3-On that same point, Watsons arm is in a sling after the explosion, yet when he is rescuing Holmes form the river he uses both of them to reel Holmes in without a wince of pain. What gives?
#4-There was a lot of, 'Oh that is a coincidence' moments in the movie, like at the end. It was a coincidence that the rope was under Blackwoods foot, a coincidence that there was an anchor there to pull him down, a coincidence that there was an ax there to cut the rope at the right timeYou get my drift.
#5-In parliament, there are like 6 guys holding hands to keep people from getting out of the room as the gas is about to come in. Sorry, but if it was me knowing something like that was about to happen I would beat past those guys and get the hell outta there right quick.
There are more but I won't bore you, the plain and simple of the movie is this. Its good clean who done it fun at the movies, a nice break from vampires and aliens. It's good to see more of Robert Downey Jr. he is an amazing actor and the roles he is picking now a days fit him to a 'T'. You go Tony Stark!
If they keep this type of storytelling up, there is no reason why this couldn't be a nice little franchise to revisit in the future. James bond could get a run for his money. As for Sherlock Holmes himself, after so long away, it's nice to have him back again.