Its elementary, my dear Wattson....

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2009)

I have always been an avid Edgar Allen Poe/ Arthur Conan Doyle fan. There is something about the writing style in their books, i don't know what it is but i do really enjoy it. It may possibly be the main character explaining to the reader how all of the tiny clue left throughout the novel all contribute and build up to a logical explanation for the seemingly supernatural and impossible events detailed in the book, it could be the way that the protagonists can give a blow by blow account of past events or details in a crime scene that are seemingly meaningless. I do not know what it is but this film certainly incorporated it.
I have seen a few reviews where people are whining that their beloved sherlock Holmes has been turned into a drug using, violent lout. Well unfortunately for them, he never was squeaky clean. He was always smoking opium in the books, with a fascination of martial arts and science.
The film takes place in Victorian London, during the industrial period. The atmosphere created by Guy is incredible. Everything about the set and the cast made it feel like a portal back in time. Not a single detail was missed. Robert Downey Jr made a fantastic Sherlock Holmes, having researched the character and the period of time extremely thoroughly. This is not an easy character to portray well and without knowledge, would be impossible to create a sense of character from the script alone.
The plot, although not a Sherlock Holmes story i know could have easily been one. It could have easily been a best-seller written by Arthur Conan Doyle himself.
So, overall then, an excellent film with good action sequences, romance and some comic relief. Excellent costumes, set and atmosphere. Superb acting from all members of cast. I would highly recommend it although children may find it slightly hard to follow.