Great modernized update of the story and characters, without abandoning its classic themes.

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2011)

Being a Guy Ritchie fan will not automatically mean you'll like "Sherlock Holmes" but this also goes the other way around. You really don't have to be a Guy Ritchie fan or familiar with his previous work to appreciate this movie! This is really different from any other Guy Ritchie movie really, due to the foremost reason that this movie has an actual multi-million budget behind it. Ritchie is mostly known for his little British crime movies, such as "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch.". But there is nothing little about this movie though! Of course it still features some typical Ritchie touches in it, which mostly can be seen back in the movie its characters and its humor.
Sherlock Holmes is of course one of the best known characters out of literary history but at the same time it's also one of the most old fashioned ones. He lived in a very typical British time period and he had a very distinctive old fashioned look to him, as well as some old fashioned customs. I can therefore understand the need of updating the character and story, which is something this movie does very well. It makes "Sherlock Holmes" a hip modern movie to watch but at the same time it manages to keep all of the things in it that made him such a wonderful and strong character.
And by saying they updated the character I don't necessarily mean that they changed him. The character is actually very close to the one in the books, by Arthur Conan Doyle, which some people don't seem to realize, since they only know the character from the older Sherlock Holmes movies and TV stuff, in which Sherlock Holmes was a way more sophisticated and well mannered person.
It also made Robert Downey Jr. seem like an odd choice to play the titular character but he was perfect for the approach they were taking with this movie and its main character. Same goes for Jude Law really. A pretty boy playing the good old doctor doesn't seem like a logic choice but again, it really suits the approach the movie is taking and besides, Jude Law does a great job with the character. No matter how much you like Peter Cushing or Basil Rathbone in their classic roles as the famous detective, you will also really like Robert Downey Jr., even though he gives a completely different spin on the character.
The movie isn't based on any of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle novels and so is a totally original one, though it's still really consistent- and fits in with the Arthur Conan Doyle stories. It's because it uses all of the classic themes, as well as a sort of supernatural undertone to it, which is something I always liked within a Sherlock Holmes story and movie. No, the story of this movie perhaps isn't that special but it at least provides the movie with plenty of entertainment and fun moments.
Lots of the movie its budget went into its large scale action sequences but also a large portion of it went into the movie its looks. The movie entirely recreates 19th century London, which is all fine looking but also a bit of a distraction at times when the movie pans out or decides to give you a wide shot to show off with what they have achieved. It took me out of the movie sometimes but this is really the biggest complaint I can think off regarding this movie, which should tell you something about how great and fun it is!
I'm actually more excited and anxious about seeing more new Sherlock Holmes movies rather than new James Bond flicks!
8/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/