Interesting and entertaining adaptation

Rating: Null/10 (21 April 2014)

A mark of great characters is their versatility. There have been many iterations of Sherlock Holmes, many of them quite different from one another. Yet most of them feel true to the character, because Arthur Conan Doyle wrote him to have enough depth for such variations. Sherlock Holmes can be calm, deductive and collective. He can be passionate, intuitive and more than a bit crazy. He can be loving, he can be cruel, he can be unpredictable and if handled with care, it'll all feel true.
Guy Ritchie's take on the character, as realized by Robert Downey Jr., falls on the more eccentric end of the scale. His Holmes accentuates the madness of the character, the razor sharp edge between lunacy and genius. Yet he's never out of the line. There's reason to his madness and when he suddenly sobers up and functions with frightening purpose, it doesn't feel out of place. Beautiful performance by Downey and the utmost reason why this film works so well.
Though I feel I must praise Jude Law's take on Dr. Watson as well. His is a more subtle performance and whenever he shares screen time with Downey, he recedes to his superior presence. But that's the essence of Watson, so it feels quite fitting. I also really enjoyed his sarcasm and tired frustration. A nicer and more civilized Watson would have felt out of place next to Downey, but with Law they manage to strike the perfect balance.
Furthermore, it's an excellent film on the technical side of things. The soundtrack is superb, the set and clothing designs are marvelous, the action scenes have suitable weight behind them and as a whole the story is paced nicely. The plot itself isn't anything spectacular, but this is a movie you're going to see for the experience, not because it has something meaningful to say.
Are you a fan of action mystery stories with glib sense of humour, charismatic acting and excellent production values? Then I'd suggest giving this one a chance.