Not the same thing, nevertheless enjoyable

Rating: Null/10 (26 December 2009)

Sherlock Holmes devotees should expect this screen rendering of their hero to be quite unrecognizable, given the persona of the talented actor in the title role. In fact it is not even remotely close to the version that I like best, Peter Cushing's portrayal in "The Hound of Baskervilles" (1959). But those who have a broad mind and enjoy good cinema should have no problem having fun with this movie, for the same reason, the talented actor in the title role (Robert Downey Jr.), not to mention also the two most adorable heartthrobs on today's big screen (Jude Law and Rachel McAdams).
The plot and story are so formulaic and contemporary (in the sense not of the period setting, but of the content: mysterious cult, secret symbols – it has Dan Brown written all over it) that it doesn't feel Holmes at all, despite some familiar names like Inspector Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson, Professor Moriarty and Irene Adler. Presence of other regular Holmes elements such as observation and deductive power, delirious spells, boxing skill, chemistry expertise, just to name a few, somehow fail to conjure up the iron-nerved, eccentric, super-intelligent private detective of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's recreation. Even the dialogues fail to carry any convincing British humour and subtlety. Instead, you have things like tribute to iconic American comedian Jack Benny: Holmes trying to use Watson to illustrate a point, says to Mary, the latter's fiancée "Take Watson", and without missing a beat, Mary quips, "I fully intend to".
But despite the rather simplistic approach, this movie is delightfully enjoyable. The Downey Jr.'s version of a somewhat blundering Holmes brings out this actor's best. Law responds with his sarcastic, contemporary of Watson that generates good chemistry with the protagonist. Irene Adler, in whose brief appearances in Doyle's work is referred to by Holmes as "the woman", is brought to life by lovely and witty McAdam, another bright spot in this movie and well poised for the sequel (maybe "a" sequel, depending obviously on audience reaction to this first one). The art and action directors have all done a fantastic job. Yes, this is not your version of Sherlock Holmes but at least it's your version of Robert Downey Jr.