Meet the great Sherlock, warts and all

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2009)

I've always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes on film, and this is surely one of the most competently-made versions ever. Hats off to Guy Ritchie, who gives us a Sherlock Holmes that is quite different from previous versions, yet still faithful to the original idea. I never thought i'd like a movie by Guy Ritchie this much, but this one is SUPERB in every way! Robert Downey's amazing performance makes him my Best Actor of 2009, and Jude Law's Dr Watson is most endearing. Mark Strong gives us a wonderfully diabolical villain that makes Avatar's Col Quaritch merely cartoony. The script is also very witty and the plot believable, two essential qualities if a Sherlock Holmes movie is to be credible. There is much wit to be found in the music score as well. The art direction and set decoration for this movie's Victorian London are also more visually impressive than the efforts made for Avatar's planet Pandora. One viewing of Sherlock Holmes is definitely not enough, because there is just so much to take in.