Bloody Brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2010)

"Sherlock Holmes" is part-comedy, part-thriller, part-romance, and part-buddy movie. It is also completely brilliant.
The film's plot concerns a mysterious plot by the menacing Lord Blackwood. Holmes (Downey Jr.), Watson (Law), and an alluring past love interest (McAdams) must work together- sometimes reluctantly- to crack the case. It sounds simple, but a number of ominous supporting players and adrenaline-inspiring set pieces make it constantly entertaining and riveting.
The perpetually likable Robert Downey Jr. takes up the torch as Sherlock Holmes. There's no need to compare his work to that of Basil Rathbone- the two performances could not be more different. Downey Jr. makes Holmes both comedic and competent. His accent is convincing, and his delivery is as dead-pan as ever. In Guy Ritchie's revisionist take, Holmes has become a comic action hero, and Downey Jr. pulls off both the comedy and the action seamlessly. Jude Law lends great support as Watson; his take on the character is more traditional, but he makes a great comedic straight-man as well. McAdams also does well as an American femme fatale whose allegiances are always in question.
Stylistically, the film combines Ritchie's "guns-blazing" sensibilities with period detail and witty dialogue. The quick-cut shots and fast-paced visual flashbacks/explanations suit the source material surprisingly well. The musical score is effectively creepy; it evokes the air of the Rathbone films and the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novels. Similarly, the costumes and art direction capture the time period, and arrest the audience visually. The script is chock-full of funny lines, and the cast delivers them well.
While purists may shudder at the sight of Sherlock in the boxing arena, Ritchie's "Holmes" is fun, fast-paced, and fresh. Case closed.