Case Re-opened!

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2010)

As a Downey fan, I make it a point to see everything he's done. Although I am not there yet, no way was I missing Sherlock Holmes. I made the trek to the movie theater on Christmas Day, which I do not usually do, because I had to be one of the first to see it. And what a wonderful Christmas present it was.
Robert Downey Jr is, of course, perfect in the title role. There was much controversy about him playing Sherlock and the changes that were made. Every new adaptation has some changes; nothing can remain the same. It is a way of keeping the story fresh. Downey made Holmes his own. He did it without the infamous hat and pipe (although a hat and pipe of some sort are used throughout) and still managed to look sexy while doing it. Like any good actor, he also did his homework. He studied up on Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle before shooting this film. And his hard work paid off. He captures Holmes perfectly, at least from the standpoint of someone not familiar with the stories. The English accent is spot-on; a few times I thought he was channeling his role in Chaplin. I felt myself grinning the moment Downey appeared on screen and it never faded. I knew I was going to love the film. And I did.
Jude Law is his faithful sidekick John Watson. Watson is engaged and plans to move out of the home that he and Holmes share. He keeps trying to break away from the adventure but is drawn in nonetheless. Law is completely convincing as Watson; there were times when I wanted to smack him for being so arrogant. And other times when I wanted him to smack Holmes. The chemistry between the two leads is intense; you can see the friendship and brotherhood these two men share. Some would argue that there are homosexual undertones. I did not see that, but you will have to judge for yourself.
As Lord Blackwood, Mark Strong is creepy and slimy and PERFECT. He is doing the work of the devil and is out to get Holmes. He defies everyone who thinks he's dead and continues his killing spree; at one point killing his own father. Strong's performance was so good that I would smile at what he was doing, even if it involved heinous activities. I had not heard of Mark Strong before but definitely plan to check his other work out; he has made a fan out of me. That's saying something.
The only one that I wasn't that impressed with was Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. It wasn't that she was horrible; she just didn't have enough to do in the film to really show her talent. Adler is the only person to outsmart Holmes and he never forgot her. I was given the impression that they were romantically involved in the past. McAdams is gorgeous and sexy but that was all that she had. I hope that if she is in the sequel she will be given more to do. It was a so-so performance.
The setting and costumes are accurate for the time and completely believable. The music rocks and the computer graphics give us the feel of nineteenth-century London. The rest of the cast is convincing in their parts (especially Watson's dog) and I hope to see everyone in the sequel, even Strong if they can make his character come back from the dead.
Sherlock Holmes has been brought into the twenty-first century. I hope that this new adaptation will spark an interest in those who have never paid attention before and they will want to read all Arthur Conan Doyle's work. If a film can do that, then it is successful. And that's just what happened with me.