Old Classic Revamped Reverently

Rating: 8/10 (20 March 2010)

Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" is a throwback to the old Saturday afternoon mystery serial..Except it ain't no serial, it's a blockbuster. Yes, it's delightfully fully blown and over-the-top in scope and execution – and it works delightfully for the adventure as well as the Sherlock Holmes fan alike.
The story revolves around a most dark and sinister villain, Lord Blackwood, who is out to conquer the British Parliament and, yes, the world. When Blackwood mysteriously rises from his own execution, well, it provides just the perfect storm of fear from which Sherlock Holmes surely cannot resist. Oh, but one should never underestimate what Holmes will deduce given his uncanny scientific mind. This is the setup and what follows, though quite Hollywood in both effects and glamor, still manages to serve a classic because the story is worthy of the characters of both Holmes and Watson. Mr. Ritchie's dark and gritty style of film-making surprisingly works quite nicely.
Perhaps no surprise is Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Sherlock Holmes. Downey's portrayal propels the disheveled detective to new heights and remains true to Arthur Conan Doyle's literary icon. I get the feeling this will likely stand with the classic Basil Rathbone celluloid version for old viewers while bringing "the franchise" up to date, if you will, to legions of new fans. Lord Blackwood, played by Mark Strong, is also close to perfection as he is evil without being cartoon-ish (nice restraint on Strong's part). If that isn't enough Jude Law mostly does the same for Dr. Watson and the somewhat greater role Mr. Ritchie envisioned for Watson seems to be on the mark as Downey and Law pair well, elevating the charisma of both through their natural chemistry. The backdrop of Old London is created and photographed so seamlessly it's hard to tell what's real or digital – the setting is so realistic it simply couldn't be better.
So here we have a very good update that gives a nod to the classic nature of the material, the beloved Saturday afternoon movie serial, and brings the action level up-to-date while keeping the effects from stealing anything away. If you think this sounds a bit too implausible you should simply see it, in factSee it if you don't. Recommended.